The melodious fusion of strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion reverberates through the vast auditorium, piercing the still air as onlookers watch in a hushed silence. All of a sudden, the combination of instruments stops as the audience’s focus goes to the fast-paced solo performed by a high schooler seated in front of a grand piano. Among professionals and high schoolers alike, Josephine Chow ‘27 performed at the national Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, March 22 at the North Idaho College Schuler Performing Arts Center.
Piano has always been a part of Chow’s life, whether it was her mom as a piano teacher or starting lessons when she was almost five years old. Her mother’s job as a teacher fostered the expectation that piano would be part of her kids’ lives; however, Chow took it further, finding passion for the instrument, practicing anywhere from two to three hours a day – except for days when she doesn’t want to practice.
“I just practiced [when I was younger], but I wasn’t too insane about it,” Chow said. “I’m not a big fan of practicing, but I started liking it a lot more after the summer of seventh grade. During eighth grade, I got a lot more into piano, but before then, I just did it as a hobby.”
For high schoolers, playing with orchestras is a big feat and still a larger task, yet Chow has three orchestral experiences under her belt. Sparking her renewed interest in piano, her first orchestral experience took place the summer before eighth grade when she played with the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra in Irving, Texas. Exploring her newfound passion, she played with the Starlight Symphony Orchestra, a community orchestra based in Austin in ninth grade.
“I haven’t gotten to experience [playing with orchestras] a lot, but I’ve played with them before,” Chow said. “It’s an opportunity that I’m really grateful for. There’s something so enjoyable about playing with orchestras that you can’t get out of playing alone on stage. You feel like you have a community of other musicians that you’re doing this with.”
Over spring break, Chow practiced and eventually performed with the highly selective Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra. The application for this orchestra involved a video submission of the applicant playing. Many musicians struggle with getting what is known as the perfect take; the best possible video of their piece to submit for judging or applications. While many attempt countless takes, Chow had a different approach when recording her piece to submit for consideration.
“I absolutely dread it and I can’t say that I’m really good at it, but it’s getting easier over the years,” Chow said. “I’ll try three times, and if it doesn’t work, I stop the session. I’ll just do more the next day, but I won’t sit there and do it all at once. For me, when I record, the first session you’re not always going to get something good out of it. You have to ease yourself back into recording because, for me, it’s difficult because you don’t get the adrenaline that you get from an audience. You don’t get that type of spirit, so you have to create it while you’re in a room alone.”
Based in Idaho, the orchestra accepted Chow from her audition video. She stayed with a host family during rehearsal on Friday and Saturday. In addition to visiting the new state, she looked forward to her piece that she played at the final performance.
“The concerto I’m playing, Rachmaninoff’s [Piano Concerto] No. 2 Mov. 3, has always been a favorite for me,” Chow said. “I’m really looking forward to [the] the final coda of this movement. It’s very grand and I feel like playing it with an orchestra will just be a great thing to experience.”
Having played with two other orchestras previously, Chow has noticed differences across orchestras, which is valuable information to have as an aspiring professional pianist. These differences lie mainly in the conductor and different focuses of each orchestra.
“I would say the main difference, for me, because I feel like I interact with a conductor more at this level, [is that] all of them conduct differently,” Chow said. “They do cues differently, so it takes a while to get used to that. I think every orchestra that I played with are all very different. Some of them have louder brass, some of them have stronger strings – that balance can be different.”
Performing in front of a large audience is a nerve-wracking experience for anyone, and Chow does not hide the fact that, despite her talent, she gets nervous easily no matter the audience size. However, from her extensive experience in performances, competitions, and orchestras, she has found that pre-performance, keeping to herself and not overthinking the performance has helped her handle nervousness.
“I feel like in all music I play, there’s a sense of beauty that I can appreciate about that piece [once I get into the music.],” Chow said. “Even if there’s no clear melody, you just appreciate the music, but at the same time, when I really perform and it goes well, I feel like sometimes you can be so immersed in the music [that] you forget what happened afterwards. It’s done, and they’re done, and then you don’t have feelings anymore.”
Chow’s experiences at competitions and orchestras have led her to meet many fellow musicians. Many of her peers have complimented her on the sincerity and authenticity of her playing, noting how it seems organic rather than artificial, a trap many young musicians fall into when perfecting their pieces. However, comparison is the thief of joy, and there is no doubt that meeting older, talented musicians can bring up feelings of inferiority. Chow has experienced imposter syndrome before, but approaches it with a positive mindset.
“Imposter syndrome is such a real thing for me, but it’s such a real thing for the older people too,” Chow said. “Let’s say I go to a summer festival, and I meet somebody really talented there, there’s just a community. You all hear their names all the time. For me, I would just approach them normally. At the end of the day, they’re still people. They’re still human. I feel like a lot of people I’ve met, even if they’re really talented, have a bit of imposter syndrome themselves. There’s times where you feel really insecure about your interpretation, or you don’t think you’re good enough.”
Chow channels her passion for piano into not just her musical endeavors but also her extracurricular activities. As part of The Food Lounge, a nonprofit, she helps those facing food insecurity by volunteering at soup kitchens or cooking meals. Occasionally, she participates in fundraising concerts at senior living homes to get in touch with and give back to the community.
“When it comes to music, I think it can be used in so many different areas,” Chow said. “You don’t just have to perform on stage. You can be able to touch other people in your community in so many different ways. When it comes to performing at senior living facilities, I feel like that becomes really special to me, because when I go there, I can connect with these audiences, and they can also connect with me.”
In a competitive atmosphere such as Westwood, Chow notes that piano is an enjoyable break from the din, finding satisfaction after a good performance. When playing the piano, Chow avoids holding herself to unrealistic expectations and focuses on being over-prepared, dispelling the myth that there is such a thing as a perfect performance. Despite her positive mindset, she faces bad days like everyone else; during this time, she turns to her parents who have played a huge role in her life, along with her two piano teachers.
“[My parents] sacrificed not just so much resources, but also so much time,” Chow said. “Even though [my mom] is really busy, she would still accompany me to my lessons and all the way till now, she will still sit in on my lessons, because sometimes, I forget things, so she will write notes, and I will write notes, and then we’ll add them together. She’s just always been there for me to support me. She also drives me almost everywhere, and my dad also drives me everywhere. I’m really grateful for that.”
In the future, Chow wants to pursue a career in music. She is open to attending a conservatory or a music school connected to a university, and is deciding between a double degree or a minor in addition to music. No matter her career path, it is undeniable that Chow will aim to be a professional pianist, and her experience with the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra is a step towards that.
“I don’t think I’ve ever questioned my decision to pursue piano,” Chow said.
