Year 12 IB student, Kevin Yee spent two hours with Auckland Philharmonia musicians late in Term 4 after winning the orchestra’s Duet Composition Competition.  Kevin’s entry had to be composed for either Trombone and Trumpet, or Violin and Bass Clarinet.  His winning entry, Droplet’s Dream was composed for the latter.

During the session, bass clarinettist Mr Andrew Uren and violinist, Mr Mark Bennett rehearsed Kevin’s composition while Composer, Mr Ryan Youens and Kevin observed and discussed alterations to his score. After an hour of refinement and sculpting of the work, Kevin reprinted the parts of the score and the musicians recorded the piece for Kevin’s IB Composition portfolio.  His work will be graded on the control and development of musical elements; musical coherence; idiomatic understanding of instruments; notation and general Impression.

The Auckland Philharmonia has an outstanding Education Programme (APOPS) that includes a number of composition competitions, including compositions for a full orchestra and brass fanfares.   The programme has opened up several opportunities for our best musicians over a number of years.  In 2011 Old Collegian, Joseph Williams was a finalist in the programme’s ‘Fanfare for the Blues’ competition and his composition was recorded by the Philharmonia’s entire brass section. For Kevin to spend time with such gifted musicians was not only invaluable but proved to be really exciting as he heard his composition come to life. The feedback from both Mr Youens as mentor and the musicians themselves helped him further his understanding of musical composition.

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