On a Youthful Note

There is something akin to poetic logic in the fact that the New West Symphony, a youngster in the ranks of western orchestral life, would focus on fledgling musicians as part of its mandate.

This weekend, the orchestra lends its spotlight to some very tender-aged and gifted outsiders in its annual “Discovery Artists Concerts.”

Select student soloists, chosen from a large field of contenders, will perform within a wide repertoire. And--if past years’ concerts are a reliable indication--they will reaffirm faith in the musical promise of the coming generation.

In fact, the Discovery Artists series, far from being a token gesture, is one of the New West’s more significant programs, and has become increasingly important to the life of the organization.

The program itself was a holdover from the pre-New West era of the Ventura County Symphony, and has been a part of each of New West’s four seasons.

It’s a family affair, on- and offstage. This year, Timothy Hsieh, who is all of 10 years old, will open the concert with Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G. His sister Tiffany will perform Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C. Another sister, Joanne, performed last year.

The concert’s piano contingent includes 11-year-old Jean Yeh--who was one of the stars of last year’s program--and 12-year-old Edward Lan, who will team with Yeh for Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals.” Fourteen-year-old violinist Kevin Chu will perform Saint-Saens’ Africa, Opus 89.

On violin, we’ll also hear Rebecca Kappen, 17, doing the “Havanaise, Opus 83” of Saint-Saens (it’s a Saint-Saens-rich program, befitting the French composer who wrote many pieces specifically for children. Dan Fritz, 17, will play the alto saxophone on Ibert’s Concertino da camera.

On cello, Giovanna Moraga--at 21 a veritable veteran--returns for her second appearance; the first was in 1996. She will perform Tchaikovsky’s Pezzo capriccioso, Opus 62.

The concert is linked with the New West Symphony’s “Youth Week 10,000” program, during which the orchestra performs for groups of youths around the county.

It’s an admirable, evangelist’s goal that we should all aspire and contribute to. Classical music needs all the help it can get to reach young ears and counteract the limited mass media-fueled sound field, where classical music is heard in tiny sound bites, if at all.

* New West Symphony “Discovery Concert,” Friday at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. On Saturday at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Road. Both concerts start at 7:30 p.m., with a pre-concert Jazz Fest at 6:15 p.m., with school jazz bands from around the county. Tickets are $7-18; 449-ARTS (449-2787).