Hong Kong teen violinist fulfils dream of performing at famous Rockport Concert Hall in the US
Ocean Chow was honoured to play a 90-minute programme Rockport Concert Hall and hopes to one day perform with the Hong Kong Philharmonic.
Violinist Ocean Chow saw her dream come true when she performed at a famous concert hall in the US. Photo: HandoutEvery week, Talking Points gives you a worksheet to practise your reading comprehension with exercises about the story we’ve written.
Ocean Chow always knew her dream would come true. The 15-year-old violinist from Hong Kong had long wanted to play at the famous Rockport Concert Hall in the US state of Massachusetts.
After a lot of hard work, her dream became reality last month.
“Rockport [Concert Hall] has been a venue that I’ve dreamed of playing in since I was really little,” the musician explained. “You can play with the ocean as a background.”
The venue opened more than 40 years ago. It has showcased artists such as American classical pianist Russell Sherman, jazz musician Dave Brubeck, and violinist Midori. Now, Ocean’s name is on that list, too.
Hard work and sacrifices
Ocean started playing the violin when she was six years old. She often had to skip events, like her friends’ birthday parties, to focus on her training.
“But I didn’t mind because, at the end of the day, it’s worth it,” Ocean said.
Still, the stress of juggling the instrument with the rest of her life grew as Ocean got older. She attended a regular school alongside The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (APA). “I used to only sleep for four hours,” Ocean said.
Eventually, she burned out. She decided to make a change and applied to one of the best arts secondary schools in the US, Walnut Hill School for The Arts. After she was accepted, Ocean and her family made the big move.
A dream come true
Ocean was invited to perform a solo concert at Rockport around the same time as her move.
With about a month to prepare a 90-minute performance, she got to work on her programme. Her concert included music from many different genres and cultures. One was the jazz scene in the US state of Louisiana.
“I was trying to have a lot of diversity in my programme,” she explained, adding that she was inspired by the diversity she saw around her at her new school.
“It was my first jazz piece ever, and I had a lot of fun learning it. The audience was vibing to it, which is unusual for a classical concert.”
Her 15th birthday came just days before the big show. Her present was the chance to rehearse in Rockport Concert Hall.
“It was spectacular. I almost cried,” she said. “It was the best birthday gift.”
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Nearly all of the hall’s 300 seats were full on the day of her concert. The most magical moment for Ocean was when birds flew behind her as she played a peaceful melody.
The concert ended with a standing ovation. “It was the best moment of my life,” Ocean said.
The teen still has many years as a violinist ahead of her. Her new dream is to become a soloist and play with the Hong Kong Philharmonic.
There’s no doubt that Ocean will pursue music professionally when she gets older. “I don’t know what other career path I would do other than music. It’s just so close to my heart,” she said. “It gives me motivation every day to wake up.”
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