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Jasmine Choi premieres Songbird’s Journey – a flute concerto composed for her

Jasmine Choi

LKL has always been a fan of Jasmine Choi (최나경) – and not just because she was our first interview with a classical musician, over 5 years ago. She had an excellent Wigmore debut, has released four solo CDs and recorded her fifth last month.

She has now had a new flute concerto composed for her by Mark Laycock, and will give its premiere on 23 July at Princeton University with the Buffalo Phil under the baton of the composer. Here’s the first couple of pages.

Laycock: Songbird's Journey

As she comments on her Facebook page – Maaaaaaany notes!

Here’s the official PR from her agents, Chesapeake International Artists.

Wish we could be there to hear it live.

Songbird’s Journey

a flute concerto written for Jasmine Choi by Mark Laycock
July 23, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall
Princeton University
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
Mark Laycock, Guest Conductor

Jasmine ChoiThe Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra performs by special invitation at Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium for the Seventh Annual Midsummer Celebration presented by William and Judith Scheide. The concert features the debut of flautist JASMINE CHOI with the BPO.

The centerpiece of the concert is the world premiere of composer and conductor Mark Laycock’s “Flute Concerto for Jasmine Choi (Songbird’s Journey).”

“Written expressly for Jasmine Choi, Songbird’s Journey centers around her spirit – it’s a beautiful work that is fun to play and displays her virtuosic skills,” says composer/conductor Mark Laycock.

Choi has recently completed the recording of her fifth CD for SONY. She has also just returned from being a headliner at the Seoul Spring Festival where she performed alongside such luminaries as Joseph Kalichstein, Sharon Robinson, Jaime Laredo, and Cho-Liang Lin.

Mark Laycock“Jasmine’s remarkable gifts could not help but inspire works to be written for her, and having known her for nearly fifteen years, the time seemed right to collaborate on a concerto that would reflect her personal and musical qualities. The concerto is therefore beautiful and melodic while displaying her incredible virtuosic technical prowess within different musical fabrics that take the listener on what I hope is a very enjoyable journey with the soloist,” says Laycock.

The concert will begin with Dvorak’s Carnival Overture. Brahms’s Symphony No. 2 follows the intermission.

Hope it goes well, Jasmine.

One thought on “Jasmine Choi premieres Songbird’s Journey – a flute concerto composed for her

  1. Sounds like it went well. Here’s an update from Jasmine’s Facebook page:

    After much stressful “missing luggage” situation (which was found in Iceland for no reason) until the day of the concert, a designer angel came down from heaven with this gorgeous dress right before the concert, like a miracle. Then the world-premiere of the Laycock flute concerto went so well that we got a full-house standing ovations 🙂 Many thanks to Mark Laycock and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra!

    Jasmine Choi and Mark Laycock

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