This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Weston Cellist to Perform with Boston Orchestra

Thirteen-year-old Leland Ko among performers to represent the future of classical music.

Editor's note: Edited information from Pro Arte.

A 13-year-old cellist from Weston will be among the young performers representing the future of classical music at an upcoming Boston performance.

On March 4, Leland Ko will perform “Back to the Future: The Next Generation Plays the Classics” with the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, along with other winners of the orchestra’s annual concerto competition, Ilana Zaks, and Matthew Woodard.

Find out what's happening in Westonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Ko started studying music at the age of three. He is currently a student of Ron Lowry at Rivers School Conservatory in Weston. Last summer he was admitted to the Perlman Music Program on Shelter Island, N.Y. and studied with Ron Leonard. More recently, he studied with Paul Katz at The Perlman Music Program Winter Residency in Sarasota, Fla.

Ko first emerged as a soloist performing with Rivers Symphony Orchestra in 2007. Since then, he has won many music competitions and has performed as a soloist with Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, Brockton Symphony Orchestra, and Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra’s (BYSO) Repertory Orchestra. In addition, Leland placed second in Concord Symphony Orchestra’s 2010 Concerto Competition. Later, he also placed second in the 2011 American Fine Arts Festival’s International Concerto Competition and was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall.

Find out what's happening in Westonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In 2010, Ko appeared twice on National Public Radio (NPR)’s “From the Top” Program. The first appearance was at Jordan Hall in Boston with BYSO and the second was at Burlington, Vt. as a featured soloist. Ko appeared on the show for the third time in 2011 with the BYSO Cello Quartet at Jordan Hall.

When not practicing cello, Ko trains twice a week at the New England Academy of Tennis. He continues to compete regularly in United States Tennis Association (USTA) tennis tournaments and is ranked in Boys’ 14-and-under Division in New England.

Now in its 34th season as Boston’s premier chamber orchestra, Pro Arte is led by internationally acclaimed music director Kevin Rhodes. Praised by Fanfare Magazine as “a simply outstanding chamber orchestra,” Pro Arte is actively engaging new audiences for classical music and building new pathways to diversity in the field.

“Back to the Future: The Next Generation Plays the Classics” will be held on March 4 at 3 p.m. with a free pre-concert perfomance at 2 p.m. at Harvard University’s Sanders Theater. For tickets and additional information, contact www.proarte.org, info@proarte.org, 617.779.0900.

 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?