Local music student Angela Sun to perform at Carnegie Hall
May 9, 2008
by Lori Sachare
When 12-year-old Angela Sun performs a Beethoven sonata at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall on May 10, this student from Music in Chappaqua fulfills the dream of musicians of all ages.
She came by this opportunity by winning first place at the Golden Key Music Festival. This festival was established by patrons of the arts to “give young musicians the opportunity to display their talents on some of the most prestigious stages in the world,” according to the festival’s web site.
“When I found out, I was psyched, I was jumping up and down,” said Sun, a sixth grader at Robert E. Bell Middle School, who practices about two hours a day, whether she really wants to or not. “It was hard in the beginning, sometimes I didn’t feel like it,” she said. “It’s fun once you get past,” and she demonstrated playing with one finger. “When you play you feel like you are accomplishing something.”
Sun’s teacher, Monica Ohuchi, who has also won national awards for piano, knows first-hand why Angela has come so far: “She works hard and is very, very talented.”
Prodigy began playing at age five
Sun began playing at age five. Her mother, An Huang, an assistant professor of physiology at New York Medical College in Valhalla, always provided encouragement to succeed. “I told her you don’t always have to win, but do your best. There is always a lesson.” Huang, and her husband Dong Sun, an associate professor at the same college, both immigrated to America from China less than two decades ago and met at the college. They later moved to Chappaqua where they met Janet Angier, the director of Music in Chappaqua. They cited Chappaqua’s excellent schools as a motivation for living here. They also wanted the best education in music for their daughter who showed great promise.
Angier is thrilled to have Sun as a student. “Angela has the mind, dexterity, soul and dedication to become a great perfomer.”
Lori Sachare is public information officer for the Town of New Castle as well as a freelance publicist.
Click here for a printable view of this article.
Click here to read more Arts & Entertainment articles.Click here to read more People articles.
Click here to send a copy of this article via email.
We're interested in your opinion. Click here to submit a comment on this article, or any other.
