SOARING ON A

My Journey as a Musical Scholar

by Elizabeth Zietz

ARIELA ROSSBERG

ONE CHILLY NOVEMBER EVENING IN 2009, AT THE AGE OF NINE, I GLIMPSED ANOTHER WORLD. I HEARD THE
LEGENDARY CLASSICAL PIANIST LANG LANG PLAY WITH THE LANG LANG INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FOUNDATION
(LLIMF) YOUNG SCHOLARS AT THE SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS IN COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA. I WAS
IN AWE OF THE IMAGES THE YOUNG SCHOLARSTALENTED MUSICIANS AGES 8 TO 16CRAFTED WITH THEIR
FINGERTIPS. NEVER WOULD I HAVE GUESSED THAT I TOO WOULD ONE DAY BECOME A LLIMF YOUNG SCHOLAR.

M y own musical journey began when I was six years old. My

first piano teacher, Claudia Xi, nurtured my love for music.
Building on those early lessons, my current teacher, Dr. Grace Fong,
taught me musical interpretation, technique, colors (tonal changes
that affect the quality of sounds), and spontaneity. Attending great
concerts and listening to recordings of performances by famous
artists such as Martha Argerich and Vladimir Horowitz also fueled
my love of music. Yet Lang Lang, a renowned concert pianist, has
always been my musical hero. He has influenced me not only as a
pianist but also as an educator, ambassador, and philanthropist.
Fast-forward a few years to when I was 15. I had finished my
homework and piano practice one evening and was scrolling
through the Facebook feed of the Mondavi Center Young Artists
Competition, in which I would soon compete as a finalist. In the
corner of my screen I saw an announcement that said Apply to be
a Lang Lang International Music Foundation Young Scholar. My
heart jumped, and I clicked on the link.
The Young Scholars Program is an educational initiative in
which Lang Lang selects eight talented pianists from around the
world to participate in a two-year program consisting of mentor-
ship, tutelage, and opportunities for performance and cultural
exchange. After learning about the Young Scholars Program and
how Young Scholars serve as LLIMF classical music ambassadors,
I quickly began to work on my applicationwhich was due the
next day! An hour before the deadline, I submitted my application,
including two of my recordings and a video in which I described
why I wanted to become a Young Scholar.
A couple of months later, I received an email from the CEO of
LLIMF informing me that I had been chosen as one of the 20162018
LLIMF Young Scholars! I felt a mix of gratitude and elation. Since
then, LLIMF has been life-changing. It has given me the opportunity
to experience an international cultural exchange, meet extraordinary
people, and see music as a vehicle to empower people.
Young Scholars Unite
Over the past two summers, Ive met with the seven other Young
Scholars at Chicagos annual all-expenses-paid LLIMF Summer
Music Summit, a collaboration between LLIMF and the Midwest
Young Artists (MYA) Conservatorya nationally renowned musi-
cian community.
For a week, I collaborated with the MYA musicians, conduc-
tor Dr. Allan Dennis, and my LLIMF familythe other Young

36 imagine Nov/Dec 2017


The 201618 LLIMF Young Scholars
Scholars and LLIMF staff. During the day, we had chamber music
rehearsals with the MYA musicians. In the evenings, we rehearsed
concerto movements with the MYA Symphony Orchestra. We also
had time to relax. We went on a water taxi, enjoyed deep-dish
pizza, toured the Chicago Symphony Center, and visited the Art
Institute of Chicago.
The highlight of the week was the final concert at Millennium
Parks stunning Pritzker Pavilion, which seats 11,000 people.
There, with the MYA Symphony, we performed eight concerto
movements. The free public concert was a marvelous success.
International Influences
LLIMF also exposed me to professional pianists in the international
arena. This past summer I attended the Oxford International Piano
Festival as a LLIMF Young Scholar. For a week at St. Hildas Col-
lege, one of Oxford Universitys 38 colleges, I learned from some
of the most inspirational classical musicians around the globe and
from 12 other young pianists. I took masterclasses with Marios
Papadopoulos, pianist and conductor of the Oxford Philharmonic,
and pianists John Lill and Saleem Ashkar. These exceptional artists
taught me new ways to convey tonal qualities, musical colors, and
characters within various pieces.
After a days practice, my friends and I explored the city and
attended concerts given by legendary pianists such as Richard
Goode, Yefim Bronfman, and Sir Andrs Schiff, all of whom taught
inspiring masterclasses at the festival. Back at the college, we went
punting on the River Cherwell, which involved propelling flat-bot-
tomed boats with a pole to push through the river bed. We drew
inspiration from both nature and the city.
To see Elizabeth perform, visit youtube.com/watch?v=sgOJ9AidNQQ.
Learn more about California Young Musicians at californiayoungmusicians.com.
www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine imagine 37
Taking Part in a Music Education Revolution
As a Young Scholar, Ive witnessed how LLIMF is making a positive
impact on students across the globe. An example is LLIMFs Keys
of Inspiration (KOI) program. Now implemented in schools nation-
wide and in other countries, KOI provides schools with a state-of-
the-art Roland Piano Lab, teaching materials, and a financial grant
of $30,000 for three years. The program, which targets students in
grades two through five, serves Title 1 schools, in which at least
75 percent of the student population participates in Free/Reduced
Lunch Programs.
I am now working to bring KOI to my home state of California. I
have solicited schools as potential recipients of the program, send-
ing dozens of emails and contacting district officials. Ive learned
to make two-minute elevator pitches and a persuasive argument,
and to never accept No as an answerall of which are outside my
comfort zone. My dream is to give all children the opportunity to
play, dream, and reach others through music.
Inspired by these experiences, I expanded my own organization,
California Young Musicians, which unites talented young artists to
serve their communities throughout California. The goal is to build
a platform for young artists to perform together, inspire others, and
gain opportunities to learn from world-renowned artists.
As a Young Scholar graduate, I will have opportunities to share
my music through performances, mentor future Young Scholars,
and help spread the word about LLIMFs programs. In the coming
months, Young Scholars in the United States will take a master-
class at New Yorks Steinway Hall with Lang Langs teacher, Profes-
sor Gary Graffman of the Curtis Institute of Music. Our graduation
recital will take place at Carnegie Hall in January of 2018.
LLIMF has transformed me as a leader, musician, and person.
Ive learned that music can create meaningful social change, tran-
scending cultural, geographical, and language differences. As Lang
Lang says, Music gives us the world. n
Elizabeth Zietz is a senior at Northwood High
School in Irvine, CA, where she founded and heads
the American Chemical Society Club, is vice pres-
ident of Math Olympiad, and serves as president
of the Musicians United for Service and Entertain-
ment club. In her spare time, she enjoys reading,
writing, and walking her dog.