Member Profile: Calvin

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Meet Calvin, a member of the wind section.

TCO: How long have you been with the TCO?
C: I’m a new member to TCO. Just joined last year 2009.

TCO: What keeps you coming back?
C: I am highly appreciative of TCO for their relentlessness in bringing Chinese traditional music to the Canadian society. Through the regular rehearsals, performances and gatherings, I got to know the orchestra and other members better, and a very special kind of chemistry has been built up already. Each performance, just like an assigned project, is fully dedicated to bringing the best Chinese music to broad audience. The excitement from the success of each performance is hard to describe in words. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be part of this exciting adventure.

TCO: What instrument do you play and how long have you been playing?
C: I play traditional 21 pipes Sheng in the orchestra and I started my first lesson in 1987. My first orchestra experience was in 1988. Later I joined the H.K. Youth Chinese Orchestra until 1993.

TCO: How did you get started with this instrument?
C: It was first initiated by my younger sister. She joined the violin class at the Music office and my mother preferred that I pick up another instrument with the same time slot. It turned out that the only available class was for Sheng. It took me about 4 years to achieve the honors certificate (Advanced class) from the HK Schools Music Festival.

TCO: What other instruments do you play?
C: 36音中音排笙/抱笙, Piano and Erhu

TCO: Other activities that you enjoy on spare time?
C: Reading, attending concerts and ballets, golfing, traveling and fine dining

TCO: Anything you’d like to share with other TCO members and fans that come to the concerts?
C: To begin with, I would like to thank Karl and Frederick for giving me an opportunity to join the orchestra. TCO is one of the few Chinese orchestras in Canada to conduct school visits, participating in community fundraising events, cultural events and music festivals. It has a strong structure, and I am fascinated and impressed by the TCO committee, whom are all volunteers. They are brave to take on many new projects and challenges. I am encouraging everyone that has the same ambitions join the TCO family without any hesitation. At last, I would like to take the opportunity to say thank you to Tony for this interview, and urging all readers to come and see our upcoming performances.