2008.07.23-27Yamaha JOC Music Camp 2008
An exciting four day event held at the Biola University, La Mirada, California, the 2008 Yamaha JOC Music Camp concluded with a high note featuring 15 students between the ages of 7 and 14 performing their own compositions in a finale concert. These cream of the crop students represented Yamaha Music Schools in New Jersey, Virginia, Arizona, California, Texas, Wiscosin and Canada. Our student Valerie Narumi, age 9, proudly shone in the event with her composition for violin, cello and piano entitled The Magic Door....I Can Go Anywhere. Accompanied by violinist Benjamin and Cellist Carter, Valerie impressed the crowd with her brilliant performance and beautiful music. "Sophisticated" and "amazing" were among the few compliments received from the audience. Thunderous applause filled the hall as all young musicians gave their final bow and received the certificates of achievement. Watch Valerie's performance here.
2007.12.2/9 Christmas Concerts
Our Christmas concents were successfully concluded after 2 full Sundays of activities. With 8 recitals featuring more than 180 students, they are filled with musical fun and holiday spirits. Chrsitmas carols are of course the top choice for many students but this year we have great variety of performances. Guitar solo, flute duets, piano concertos are all crowd pleasers; dancing and singing entertain our audience with joy. Also is the first time in our concerts that students sing and accompany themselves. Thank you again for all the support from parents and teachers.
2007.08 Southern California Music Competition
Students of Miss Hime Kang, Aaron See and Desi Vasabhuti are both 2nd runner-ups in different categories in the Southern California Music Competition.
2006.07.27-30 Yamaha Music Camp 2006
Our student Valerie Narumi is again selected to be one of the 12 young composers/performers featuring in the Yamaha Music Camp 2006. An expansion of the popular Yamaha Jamboree, the Music Camp is open to all Yamaha Music Education System students and teachers in the US. This year's event takes place over a warm summer weekend at the Catholic University of America in the capital city of Washington DC with workshops and seminars leading to the climatic conclusion showcasing 12 new compositions performed by their own composers. Valerie debuts her piano solo Animals on Parade with finesse and dexterity. A theme and variations, Valerie's composition vividly displays the images of different animals like canaries, giraffes, elephants and little puppies under her fingers. Her performance wins the audience's euthusiastic applause.
2005.05 Cypress College Piano Competition
Miss Hime Kang’s students, Desi Vasabhuti, age 7, and Aaron See, age 9, are the 1st runners-up in Division VIB and Division VB respectively in the 2005 Cypress College Piano Competition.
2005.04 Yamaha Junior Original Concert Jamboree
Valerie Narumi, age 6, a Yamaha Junior Extension Course student, performed her winning solo piano composition Jumping Puppy in San Diego, California. Being the youngest composer/performer in the concert, Valerie captures the audiences with her perfect performance.
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2004.04.17 Yamaha Junior Original Concert Jamboree
Allison Yorita, age 16, a veteran performer/composer at the Yamaha Junior Original Concert graduated from the program with her composition Breeze. Allison performed this lively and modern jazz fusion piece with fellow student, Nadia Jhunjnuwala, at the Yamaha Electone ELX-1, her teacher Mr. Carlton Liu at the Yamaha S-80 synthesizer, and drummer Mr. M.B. Gordy on percussion.
2004.07 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA)
Advance student Calvin Chang’s composition Armada for strings and percussion wins first place in the 2003-2004 National Student Competition, Senior Composition Division.
2004.04 14th Annual Young Musician Competition
First time contestant Aaron See, age 8, receives first price in the junior division performing Clementi’s Sonatina.
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2003.05 Yamaha Electone Festival, Lake Forest, California
Nadia Jhunjhnuwala brings home first prize in the teenage division of the festival. Her winning performance Comical Train at the Yamaha Electone EL90 was also featured in the Yamaha Junior Original Concert Jamboree in Phoenix, Arizona earlier this year.
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2002.11.17 Yamaha Junior Original Concert, an event to benefit the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra at Irvine Barclay Theatre, Cheng Hall featured our students Jennifer Lin, Allison Yorita and Henry Lee with their own compositions Valse Brillante, Dream of a Child and Locomotif.
2002.04 Yamaha Junior Original Concert Jamboree
This year’s young composers representing our school are Isaac Su, age 12, and Andrew Yu, age 11. Their solo debut performances of own compositions Toccata in A Minor and A Little Song showcase the talents in them.
2002.01.18 Winter NAMM 2002
Isaac Su, age 12, performed his own composition for piano solo, Toccata in A minor, in the National American Music Merchants trade show. An enthusiastic audience of NAMM 2002 attendees enjoyed the exciting and colorful music of young composers at noontime JOC concerts, hosted by pianist and composer, Mike Garson.
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2001.06.02 Yamaha Junior Original Concert Jamboree
The second of the Yamaha JOC Jamboree takes place in Bloomington, Minnesota, featuring 16 talents students from Yamaha Music Schools all over the country. Elizabeth Moore, age 13, and Henry Lee, age 14, represent our school to perform in the concert. Elizabeth, accompanied by her teacher Mr. Carlton Liu, premieres her newly finished Festive Concerto, and Henry performs a duo with saxophonist Ann Patterson in his composition Railroad Suite.
2001.05 Music Teachers’ Association of California “Composers Today” State Competition
Averee Chang and Melanie Chen are both winners of the annual event organized by MTAC. Averee is awarded 1st place in Division 3 with her composition Kaleidescope (Theme and Variations) for piano solo; Melanie 2nd place in Division 4 with In the Memory of Chopin. They are invited to perform their own compositions at the MTAC State Convention held in Burlingham, California the end of June.
2001.05 MTAC Composers Today Orange Branch Competition
Congratulations to Elizabeth Moore and Melanie Chen who won the Music Teachers’ Association of California’s Composers Today Orange branch Composition Competition. Elizabeth’s Festive Concerto received the first prize in Category D for students ages 13-15 and Melanie’s In the Memory of Chopin was placed first in Category C for student ages 11-12.
2001.04.21 2001 Yamaha Junior Original Concert Jamboree
The first of two Yamaha Junior Original concert Jamborees was successfully held in Phoenix, Arizona. Four of the students who are studying with Mr. Carlton Liu were among the 15 participants premiering their won compositions. Renee Chang and Averee Chang performed Fantastic Waltz and Kaleidescope (Theme and Variations) written for solo piano. Sebastian Chang impressed the audiences with his piano concerto “Pulsar” while Calvin Chang, who was graduating from the Junior Original Concert program, gave an unforgettable performance in a large ensemble of Armada for violin, cello, piano and three percussionists.
2001.04 Student Honored
Allison Yorita, a composition student of Mr. Carlton Liu, was honored the Certificate of Recognition by the California State Assembly for her splendid performance of her own composition Dream of a Child at the 2000 Yamaha National Junior Original Concert in Mahwah, New Jersey.
2001.02 Presidential Inauguration Ceremony
Christopher Ballard, age 12, was invited to perform at the inauguration ceremony of President George W. Bush in Washington D.C. Christopher is currently studying composition with Mr. Carlton Liu.
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2000.10.01 Yamaha Music Academy students participate in American national JOC 2000
Calvin Chang, 15, and Allison Yorita, 12, were the only two California representatives performed in the Celebration 2000 Yamaha National Junior Original Concert at the Berrie Center, Ramapo College of New Jersey. Appearing in concert with these two talented performers was their instructor Carlton Liu as a guest performer accompanying JOC graduate NiTasha Jackson from Fredericksburg, VA on her song Just Hold On To Me.
2000.05 Student receives 2nd place award in Division 4 of MTAC Composers Today State Competition
Congratulations to Allison Yorita, whose composition Dream of a Child received the above mentioned award. She performs her piece with a cellist at the MTAC State Convention in San Diego in July 2000.
2000.04.06-9 Student performances at Yamaha Junior Original Concert Jamboree
The annual JOC Jamboree took place again at the Doubletree Resort in San Diego, California. Once again, students from our school stole the best moments in both concerts. Melanie Chen and Isaac Su debuted their new solo piano compositions; Allison Yorita in her piano and cello duo; Calvin Chang with his monumental work Legends for piano, Electone and percussion. The concerts presented 30 top original works composed by students form Yamaha Music Schools nationwide in the US.
2000.02.05-6 Winter 2000 NAMM, Los Angeles
Emily Nafius was a featured performer in a series of concerts at the Winter NAMM 2000 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Her jazz composition Twilight on State Street was inspired by her candid performance with her uncle in a jazz club in Santa Barbara. The performance was accompanied by her teacher, Mr. Carlton Liu, on the Yamaha AR-100 Electone.
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1999.11.21 Yamaha Junior Original Concert National Highlights
Nine student performers were featured with their own composition in the JOC National Highlights Concert at the newly completed Edgewood Auditorium. Five top compositions were chosen amongst more than 30 pieces performed in the 1999 JOC Jamboree earlier this year. Three of the five best students were studying composition with Mr. Carlton Liu. They were Sebastian Chang, Tommy Chien and Emily Nafius. Other featured guests included performers from Canada, San Antonia, Texas, and graduates from the JOC program.
1999.08.15 Japanese American Museum dedication ceremony performances
Emily Nafius, 16, and Koichi Sanchez, 15 both graduates of the Junior Original Concert (JOC) program, and students of our school, were featured in a special dedication ceremony for the Japanese American Museum in downtown Los Angeles during the Nissei Week. They performed their own compositions Twilight on State Street and Blackout, respectively, highlighted in two concerts.
1999.08 Students selected as American representative in 1999 Yamaha International Junior Original Concert
Sebastian Chang, one of our top students, was selected by Yamaha Music Foundation of Japan for this year’s event to be held in Tokyo, Japan.
1999.06 Student inducted as member of Young Composers’ Guild of MTAC
David Chiu, a junior with a triple major in biology, chemistry and music at University of California Irvine, is inducted as a member of this prestigious group of young composers within the Music Teachers’ Association of California. David has been studying piano, Electone, and composition with Mr. Carlton Liu since age 10.
1999.06 Winner in Composers Today State Contest
Congratulations to the following students who placed in the Music Teachers’ Association of California, Composers Today State Contest, all of whom will perform their own compositions at the 1999 MTAC State Convention in Monterey, California on July 4th, 1999.
1st place – Sebastian Chang, 2nd place – Allison Yorita and Stephanie Be, Honorable Mention – Melanie Chen and Averee Chang
1999.05.15 Yamaha Music Academy students receives awards at piano competition
Isaac Su and Jialu Chen, both first time participants in a piano competition, won 4th place in separate divisions of the Cypress College Piano Competition on May 15th, 1999.
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1997.12.13 Yamaha Music Academy students selected for 1998 Yamaha Junior Original Concert Jamboree
Yamaha Music Academy is pleased to announce the following students of Mr. Carlton Liu are among the 32 selected finalists invited to perform their own original compositions for the upcoming American region 1998 Yamaha National Junior Original Concert Jamboree in San Diego, California, to be held in April, 1998:
Calvin Chang, Sebastian Chang, Averee Chang, Katherine Chiu, Elizabeth Moore, Koichi Sanchez, Linda Vuong
The US National Junior Original Concert is a showcase of the Yamaha Music Education System, and features students graduated from the Junior Music Course (JMC) and Young Musicians Course (YMC) performing their original compositions. For the US region, more than 300 pieces were submitted by young composers form Yamaha Music Schools nationwide this year and the top 32 compositions were chosen for the annual US National JOC. Congratulations to these talented young musicians who shall perform their won creations in this exciting annual event.
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