What are the American classics a Denton youth symphony will play in South Korea?

“I’ve thought about, like, we’re going there in representing America,” said Westlake Academy student and violinist Anthony Harnan. “I haven’t heard of very many American groups that have gotten to go to Korea. So I think for many of the Koreans, this might be a bit of a first and we’re going to be the first impressions of, you know, American classical music.”

The musicians will take a program heavy on American music to South Korea, with a few highlights — Dvorak’s New World Symphony and “Hoe-down” from Aaron Copland’s popular ballet Rodeo. The musicians will also play some newer contributions from Hollywood, including music from the Harry Potter and The Incredibles soundtracks.

The youth symphony played its first concert in 2019, and kept up rehearsals through the COVID-19 pandemic with lots of safety measures in place. The organization has beginning students performing in a philharmonic group and more experienced, older students in the symphony. The organization also offers a preparatory orchestra and string orchestra for the students who are building skills to eventually move into the philharmonic and symphony.

An international trip and concert is an opportunity for the musicians to get a major concert in the books, as well as a lot of touring and a little cultural exchange. The trip will take students to Daegu, where the symphony’s music director and conductor Hank Chang grew up.

“We’re front-loading the fun stuff,” said symphony co-founder Damia Cleaver. “They’re going to be doing some work, but they’ll be having fun, too.”

Edward Hwang, a violinist and a freshman at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, said that, like Harnan, he’s looking forward to perform New World Symphony in South Korea.

“Most of the pieces we’re playing are pretty simple,” Hwang said. “But with simple pieces, there’s also a nuance to it. You have to bring up more characteristics of that music. And that’s something hard about the easier pieces. Because most of them are sight-readable, and we can get them in two or three rehearsals. But with Dvorak, even though he was a violist and played a stringed instrument, there are some really, really difficult passages that takes someone hours and hours to practice.”

Hwang gets to pair the symphony trip with a visit with his grandparents and extended family who live in South Korea.

“It’s the first time in a while I’ll get to see family,” he said. “I’m really excited. I expect to play in an amazing hall and with some amazing people that I can learn from, because at the end of the day, music is all about new ideas and how to incorporate those new ideas.”

Ryan High School sophomore and violist Keana Barton said she’s looking forward to sharing the stage with young South Korean musicians.

“I’m looking forward to being able to play with different people from different cultures,” Barton said. “We may have a lot of differences, but I think music can really bring us together, so I’m really looking forward to that.”

Barton said she’s working on achieving the speed required in the program. Several of her peers said they’re working on the rhythms of the music.

And when it comes to picking a program favorite, Barton said she’s itching to play Copland’s “Hoe-down.”

“I love it so much,” she said. “It’s fun and really fast. I just love it.”

The program includes iconic American songs, such as “America the Beautiful,” too.

“It’s a really American program,” Harnan said. “Like I said, we’re really representing America in this concert. I’m really looking forward to it. Especially New World Symphony. It’s a really big piece.”