Cameron Oates is currently a senior at Oxford Academy. His love for music began when he took piano lessons at four years old. Not long after, he was drawn to the violin and has been inseparable from it ever since. Over the years, Cameron has performed and received numerous awards from various competitions, including the include Satori Strings Grand Prize, Southwestern Youth Music Festival, Musical Arts Competition, American Protege International Competition, Saddleback Concerto Competition, and Cal-ASTA Solo Competition. Under the guidance of Yuki Mori and Min Jung Park, he will be playing with the Saddleback College Philharmonic later this year and representing the ASTA Los Angeles region in the State’s final competition this fall. Cameron’s favorite performances were when he took the stage at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall-Weill Recital Hall in 2022 and the benefit concert that he organized last year, raising over $3000 for Olive Crest, a non-profit organization that helps and supports broken families.

Cameron is a leader in many aspects. He has served as the Concert Master for the Oxford Academy Chamber Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Deanna Miner since 9th grade. He is also part of the Associated Student Body and the co-captain of the boys’ varsity soccer team at Oxford Academy.

Arianna Lai (15 years old) is a sophomore at University High School, Irvine. She started cello when she was 9 years old, and currently studies with Professor Joon Sung Jun. Arianna has received numerous awards throughout her cello career. As a freshman in high school, Arianna was honored with an Award of Excellence in Performing Art and Outstanding Orchestra Musician in 2024. She has won multiple first prizes at the Junior Chamber Music Concerto Competition, Great Composers Competition, Amici International Music Competition and was awarded scholarships. She was also a grand finalist and honored as Special Achievement Award Winner in the Satori Competition. On top of solo playing, Arianna also enjoys participating in orchestras. In middle school, she performed as principal cellist and soloist of Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings orchestra at Segerstrom Hall and was awarded the Conductor Award in the 2022-2023 season. She has also performed as a principal and soloist in California All State Honor Orchestra. Active in chamber music, she has been an honor member of Junior Chamber Music for two years and recently her trio was selected for the Distinguished Artist Masterclass. She also uses her talent in music to give back to the community by volunteering in a variety of organizations such as Back to Bach and Rancho San Joaquin Middle School. Outside of her busy cello life, Arianna is very passionate about art. Her illustration work has been selected and published nationally and internationally by New York Times One-Pager Challenge, Blick, Pentel and recently been recognized by Scholastic as a regional gold key recipient, advancing her into their national level competition.

Damon Ko is a 7th-grader at Cadence Park School in Irvine, CA. He started his musical journey at the age of 5 and is currently studying violin with Yuki Mori and Min Jung Park at The Mori & Park Violin Studio. Damon believes in philanthropy through music and his performance at the 2023 Spirit of Excellence Gala, hosted by the Irvine Public Schools Foundation (IPSF), helped raise generous funds to support art, music, STEM, and athletic programs in Irvine schools. He won 1st place and was a recipient of the Special Award at the 2023 Satori Summer Music Festival and was also placed 1st in his age group at the 2023 Southwestern Youth Music Festival in his age group. Damon is all about strings! When he is not practicing the violin, Damon is working his racquet strings through competitive tennis and is currently one of Southern California’s top 20 tennis players ages twelve and under.

Composed in 1896, this concerto, although less well-known than others of its time, is a showcase of virtuosic violin technique. Conus, a Russian violinist and composer, created a piece that blends lyricism with brilliant technical passages, challenging the soloist to balance musicality with technical skill.

The first movement, Allegro molto, is fast-paced and dramatic, with sweeping violin lines and powerful orchestral support. The soloist is given moments of both bold intensity and delicate phrasing, allowing for a rich emotional contrast.

Historical Context:
Conus, a student of Tchaikovsky, wrote this concerto at the height of Russian Romanticism. Though Conus’s compositional output was limited, this concerto has remained his most enduring work. It reflects the grand, expressive style typical of Russian composers of the era, while also incorporating a French sensibility from his time studying in Paris.

Performance Insights:
The Allegro molto is both fiery and elegant, requiring the violinist to maintain energy while navigating technically demanding passages. The balance between power and finesse is key to delivering an engaging performance of this movement.

Hubay, a prolific composer and teacher, was known for his ability to blend folk elements with classical forms. Composed in 1904, Hejre Kati is based on a popular Hungarian folk song and is written in the style of a csárdás, a traditional Hungarian dance characterized by fast tempos and lively rhythms.

The piece opens with a lyrical introduction that quickly gives way to increasingly rapid, fiery passages. The violin is given center stage, showcasing the instrument’s capacity for both emotional expressiveness and dazzling technical feats. The work’s rustic charm and virtuosic demands have made it a favorite among violinists.

Historical Context:
Hubay was one of Hungary’s leading composers and violin pedagogues, serving as head of the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. His compositions, particularly for violin, reflect a strong nationalist influence, drawing heavily on the folk music of his native Hungary.

Performance Insights:
The soloist must capture the vibrant spirit of the csárdás while navigating the fast-paced technical sections. Precision in articulation and rhythm is essential to convey the piece’s dance-like qualities, while the slower, more lyrical sections require expressive phrasing and tone.

Composed in 1919, in the aftermath of World War I, the concerto reflects Elgar’s deep sense of loss and melancholy. The fourth and final movement is a masterful blend of contrasting emotions—ranging from reflective sadness to bursts of optimism—before the work concludes with a profound, meditative adagio.

The movement opens with a vigorous, rhythmically driven section that gradually slows into a more lyrical, introspective passage. The cello’s voice dominates, expressing Elgar’s personal reflections on the devastation of war and the passage of time. The final moments of the movement, marked by a somber adagio, leave a lasting emotional impact on the listener.

Historical Context:
Elgar composed this concerto after witnessing the horrors of World War I, and its somber tone reflects the broader disillusionment of the era. The work was not immediately embraced by critics or audiences at its premiere, but it has since become one of Elgar’s most celebrated compositions, especially after cellist Jacqueline du Pré’s famous recordings in the 1960s.

Performance Insights:
This movement requires the cellist to convey a wide emotional range, from moments of fiery intensity to quiet reflection. The cellist’s ability to transition between these contrasting moods is key to a powerful performance. The adagio section, in particular, calls for deep expressiveness and control.

It was composed during a time of great personal and artistic growth for the composer, shortly after his famous European tours. The concerto is compact yet filled with lyrical melodies and virtuosic demands, showing off Mendelssohn’s youthful energy.

The third movement, Presto – Molto allegro e vivace, is a whirlwind of fast, dazzling passages. The piano and orchestra are in constant dialogue, exchanging rapid runs and playful, spirited phrases. The movement’s lively character makes it a thrilling conclusion to the concerto, showcasing the soloist’s technical ability.

Historical Context:
Mendelssohn was only 22 when he wrote this concerto, which he composed for a tour of Munich. It was an immediate success and became one of the most frequently performed concertos of its time. Despite his early death, Mendelssohn’s legacy as a composer of concertos, symphonies, and chamber music has left a lasting impact on the Romantic period.

Performance Insights:
This movement requires exceptional finger agility and control from the soloist. The interplay between the piano and orchestra demands precision and careful balance. Soloists are expected to bring energy and clarity to the rapid passages, while also maintaining the lightness that Mendelssohn’s style requires.

Bruch initially struggled with the concerto’s structure, revising it several times with the help of violinist Joseph Joachim, who premiered the final version. The work’s lyricism, passion, and technical demands have made it a favorite of both performers and audiences for over a century.

The opening movement, Vorspiel, serves as a dramatic prelude, immediately capturing the listener’s attention with its dark and brooding orchestral introduction. The violin enters with sweeping, virtuosic lines that alternate between passages of tender lyricism and fiery intensity. This movement transitions seamlessly into the second, emphasizing Bruch’s gift for combining technical brilliance with emotional depth.

Although Bruch composed numerous symphonies, operas, and chamber works, his Violin Concerto No. 1 remains his best-known piece, often overshadowing the rest of his prolific output. Its enduring popularity reflects Bruch’s mastery of orchestral color and the violin’s expressive capabilities.

Historical Context:
Bruch composed the concerto during a time when Romanticism was flourishing in Europe. The concerto’s emotional depth and dramatic contrasts reflect the Romantic era’s emphasis on individual expression. It was premiered in 1868 by Joachim and remains a staple of the violin concerto repertoire today.

Performance Insights:
The Vorspiel movement offers soloists an opportunity to demonstrate both technical prowess and deep emotional expression. Its fiery passages test the violinist’s precision, while the slower, lyrical sections allow for more introspective interpretation.

Composed in 1877, this piece is structured around a simple yet graceful theme that is followed by seven variations, each showcasing the soloist’s technical and interpretive abilities.

The variations move through a range of moods and tempos, from light and playful to dramatic and intense. Throughout the piece, the cello takes center stage, with the orchestra providing delicate support. The work’s charm lies in its balance between Classical restraint and Romantic expressiveness.

Historical Context:
Composed during a period of personal and professional turmoil for Tchaikovsky, Variations on a Rococo Theme was his attempt to reconnect with the Classical traditions of the past. It stands out from his other works for its Classical simplicity, as Tchaikovsky often preferred the lush, emotional style of late Romanticism.

Performance Insights:
Each variation presents the cellist with unique challenges, from virtuosic runs to lyrical, singing passages. The soloist must balance the technical demands of the piece with the Classical grace that Tchaikovsky intended. The cello’s ability to project both power and subtlety is key to a successful performance.