Evangelical Formosan Church of Los Angeles Youth Orchestra
Evangelical Formosan Church of Los Angeles Youth Orchestra (EFCLA YO) operates under the auspice of Evangelical Formosan Church of Los Angeles (EFCLA) and is governed by the bylaws of EFCLA.
Mission Statement
EFCLA YO aims to train the young children of church congregate members and prepare them to participate in worship services by providing music education, and teaching instrument playing skills; provide a stage for them to perform, especially the Christmas and Easter programs as required.
The scope includes, but not limited to, musicianship, team work, fellowships, and performance.
Music Genre/repertoire includes but not limited to classical, sacred church music, hymns and folk music.
Faculty Profile (in alphabetical order)
Chun, Ingrid K., Violin, MFA, the Julliard School of Music
Violinist Ingrid K. Chun has been a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra since 1992. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the Juilliard School as a scholarship student of Dorothy DeLay. Her tenure with the L.A. Philharmonic has led to extensive tours internationally, performing in major concert venues throughout Europe and Asia, as well as recording in Grammy winning albums. Chun also maintains a regular performance schedule as a soloist and chamber musician. She made her first solo debut with the L.A. Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2005 and was again a featured soloist in 2010 and 2014. Her chamber music collaborations included The Taylor Quartet, Thomas Adés, and Yuja Wang. She was chosen to perform chamber music in the Edinburgh International Festival and is often featured in the Green Umbrella New Music series and the L.A. Philharmonic Chamber Music series.
As a teacher, Chun has served as adjunct faculty in La Sierra University and as string orchestra director for The Master’s College. Born in Taiwan to a family of musicians, Chun began her music studies at age five on violin and piano. Upon winning the Taiwan National Competition, she immigrated to the U.S. and studied with Almita Vamos and Alice Schoenfeld. She has received numerous honors and awards from various organizations, such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Young Musicians Foundation. In addition, she participated in the Aspen and Taos Music Festivals, the New York String Orchestra at the Carnegie Hall, and The Hague Music Festival. Chun also enjoys writing, arranging, and improvising on both piano and violin. She can be heard on her solo albums of popular hymns, What A Friend and Songs For My Father.
Ingrid will be a music consultant for EFCLA YO.
Fang, Matthew, Violin, MFA, the University of California, Irvine
Matthew Fang is a concert violinist and teacher in Southern California. He was a Majorie Rawlins Endowed scholar, studying violin performance as a graduate student on full scholarship at the University of California, Irvine, under the tutelage of the distinguished Haroutune Bedelian. Currently, Matthew Fang is pursuing his teaching credential and studying conducting under Dr. Kimo Furumoto at the California State University, Fullerton. He is passionate about teaching and inspiring music making in his students and he aspires to become a high school music director upon completion of his credential degree.
Matthew is the lead instructor for strings of EFCLA YO.
Kuo, Melody, Piano, DMA, The University of Southern California
Dr. Melody Kuo received her degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the University of Southern California. She was awarded in many major competitions, and was the scholarship recipient of various music foundations such as Dr. Ewart Williams, Helen Bailey Schiavo, etc. In addition, she was honored as a member of Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society upon graduation.
She has toured many cities in the United States and Taiwan as a soloist, chamber music player and choir accompanist. She is currently the pianist of the Chinese Christian Chorale of Los Angeles, an adjudicator for the Southwestern Youth Music Festival Competition, Bach Festival, Music Teachers’ Association of California annual exams, a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Society, and the Vice President of the Los Angeles Branch of MTAC. She is also an adjunct professor at the Logos Evangelical Seminary, and Truth Theological Seminary.
Dr. Kuo will be a music consultant for EFCLA YO.
Lin, Matthew, Flute, BA
Mr. Lin is a recent graduate from California State University, Los Angeles with a major in Economics and a minor in Mathematics. Matthew has played flute for over 10 years, and has performed in competitions throughout the state. He has also played in both the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Claremont Young Musician’s Orchestra.
Mr. Lin will be the lead instructor of the woodwind of EFCLA YO
Chen, Laura, MA, Choir Conducting, Certified Director of Young Singers (CGI)
Ms. Chen learned to play piano when she was little. She entered Taiwan Theological College and Seminary in Taipei and received a BA in Church music with concentration in Vocal. In the US Laura studied with Dr. Bonner, the former Dean of the School of Music at the Azusa Pacific University and in 1997 received a Master degree from the Azusa Pacific University in Citrus, California, with an emphasis in Choral Conducting.
In 2011, Laura entered the Chorister Guide Institute Summer certification program for directors of young singers in Louisville, Kentucky and completed the three year certification program in 2013. The Certification of Director of Young Singers (CGI) is a 3-stage certification program that is designed for the leaders of children’s and youth choirs in churches and church schools. The certification program was sponsored by the Choristers Guild Institute (CGI), Dallas, Texas.
Ms. Chen has taught the Los Angeles GloryStar children’s chorus from 2002 to 2012 and had served as the Sunday Children choir director of Evangelical Formosan Church of Los Angeles (EFCLA) from 2001 to 2011. From 2009 to 2014, Laura also served as the Chorus teacher of the Junior Choir at the Education Center of the Mandarin Baptist Church of Alhambra, CA (Formerly Baptist Voice Children Choir, BVCC).
In addition, she worked in the last couple of years, as an assistant to the Senior Choristers of Lake Avenue Church (LAC, Summer Exploration of Arts, SEA summer programs) in Pasadena, California.
She assumed the conductorship of the EFC Adult Choir since 2011 and had completed Christmas programs and Easter programs in the last 4 years. The Christmas programs include “The Tapestry of Lights,” by Joseph Martin (2013); “Season of Wonder,” by Joseph Martin (2012); “Candles and Carols,” arranged by Mark Hayes (2011) and the Easter programs include “Out of Shadows,” by John Purifoy (2014); “Praise the God of Resurrection,” an Easter Cantata, by Mark Hayes, et al. (2013); “The Lenten Sketches,” music by Joseph Martin, orchestration by Brant Adams, (2012)
Ms. Chen is a member of the National Guild of Piano Teachers (NGPT) of the American College of Musicians and Chorister Guild, Southern California Chapter.
Laura will be assisting administration of EFCLA YO, and program coordination with EFCLA adult choir and other related activities.
Registration 2015-16
Registration begins in the fall of 2015. First parental meeting will be held on September 20, 2015
Audition process
Sunday 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. September 27, 2015. Please contact Mr. Fang for additional information.
Activities
- Rehearsal schedule – Sundays
- Performance and Music tours
Performance will be decided by the committee, music tours will focus in Southern California surrounding areas
- Community services – convalescent hospital visits
Community services include, but not limited to, convalescent hospital visits
Master classes
Pending budgetary resources invitations of renowned artists or teachers to conduct master classes for orchestra members will be sought as part of educational activities
Resource
- Church general budget
- Student tuitions
- Private donations
Volunteer services/management
Parent volunteers will be actively recruited to assist trip planning, party, and celebrations.
