DoReMi violinist wins gold in Guam music festival

A 12-year-old boy from Saipan delivered an amazing performance in the solo violin category at the 5th Tumon Bay Music Festival in Guam en route to bagging the gold medal Sunday night.

Zhen Yu Su was the lone delegate to the festival by Saipan’s DoReMi Music School.

Accompanied by Ao Zhang, his teacher/coach and founder of the school, Su wowed the crowd, which included a number of talented professional musicians.

Besides the Saipan Southern High School Manta Ray Band, Do Re Mi was the only other Saipan group that joined the weeklong competition.

Su is the youngest son of Chen Hong Chao and Su Ying Qi. He is a seventh grader at Grace Christian Academy and has been an outstanding student of DoReMi since he was 6 years old.

Elated by the first major off-island honor bagged by his student, Zhang said Su will continue to shine and strive for more recognition.

Su’s rendition of Zigeunerweisen (1847) by Pablo de Sarasete impressed festival jurors who considered the piece among the most difficult ones to play.

Zhang said his ward has been practicing the piece for more than three months. Because participation in the festival was a last-minute decision, the young violinist decided to play one of his favorites.

“I was so nervous at first,” Su admitted yesterday. He regained his confidence, however, when he saw the approving faces of everyone in the crowd, “It made me feel great!”

Su’s performance took seven to eight minutes.

His mother, Chen Hong Chao, said she is very proud of her son’s achievement. “I am confident that my son can win it…because I have seen his hard work and his capabilities,” she said.

She said that since the boy’s enrollment in music school, his interest in music has only heightened. “I am very proud of my son and I wish he will continue to explore music,” she added.

Zhang disclosed that after the Guam competition, Su was offered to join the Guam Symphony Orchestra for its scheduled series of concerts in Guam.

In January, he was also invited by noted musical conductor Stephen Bednarzyk to a performance where Su will play the violin.

“We’ve very excited for all these opportunities for him,” Zhang added.

DoReMi was founded in April 1992. Besides the annual grand recital of its students, the school also throws benefit concerts for senior citizens, the hospital, Flame Tree Festival, and other community events.

Zhang, who is the music instructor and founder of the school, entered Tian Jin Conservatory of Music in 1970 and had played with Tian Jin Orchestra. In 1991, he came to Saipan and started his school.