By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
The 2009 edition of Yamaha's Asia-Pacific Junior Original Concert took place Saturday in Seoul, bringing together 11 children from eight countries.
The leading instrument maker has a network of music schools in some 40 countries around the globe, and the Junior Original Concert (JOC) invites talented students aged 15 and under to present their original compositions. Since launching in 1972, the International JOC receives more than 35,000 submissions each year, and various concerts showcasing the selected works take place on a regional, national and international level.
This is the first time South Korea has hosted the Asia-Pacific concert.
The concert, which was held at COEX Auditorium, Samseong-dong, featured piano, electone and mixed media solo pieces by children from Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore.
Korea's Gu Na-yeon, 9, performed her cheerful three-minute piano solo piece ``Joyful Day.'' The first-grader is the first local student to have been invited to participate in the international edition of the JOC, which will open next May in Japan.
An aspiring pianist, Gu said she was inspired to write the thematic song when she visited Daegwallryeong, a mountain resort in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. ``I want to play beautiful music to touch the hearts of many and make them happy," she said.
Four other Korean children took part in the event, including Jung Da-hun, 8; Kim Mi-so, 9; Kim In-hye, 9; and Song Ye-min, 9.
Meanwhile, 15-year-old Natchaya Kroekchawalitkun from Thailand played ``Mysterious Forest of Dream,'' an electone solo piece with looping, dreamy melodies.
``I think composing songs is a very good way to enjoy life and relax, so I would like to work as a musician while also pursuing art to create something very special," she said.
``The Junior Original Concert was designed to foster the musicality that everyone has, to encourage the ability to create, perform and enjoy music, and to share this with everyone. This year's Asia Pacific JOC was a very special event that enabled the young composers to shine,'' said Naoki Yamamori, CEO of Yamaha Music Korea. ``Yamaha does more than just produce instruments, but teaches music so that it can be learned and enjoyed.''
There are 22 Yamaha Music Schools in the country, which have programs for not only children but also for adults who have no musical training. Visit www.yamaha-music.co.kr.