Queensborough Symphony Orchestra

Kae Nakano

l. to r.  Hanako Miyajima, Kae Nakano, Paul Joseph, Dong Hyun Kim, Jin Soo Lee

l. to r.  Joseph Han, Hyun Ho Cho, Sahoko Sato Timpone, Hee Jung Lee

TIMESLEDGER, JUNE 2-8, 2017

TL

BY MERLE EXIT

Despite the exodus that can

be Memorial Day Weekend,

Mary’s Nativity Church was

packed with music lovers on

Sunday for the performances

of the Queenboro Symphony

Orchestra and official debut

of the Queensboro Symphony

Choir.

The founder of the Queens-

boro Symphony Orchestra,

Paul Joseph, has added a new

musical dimension with the

creation of the Queensboro

Symphonic Choir, which made

its debut May 28. It was one

of the most dynamic perfor-

m a n c e s t h i s r e v i e w e r h a s s e e n ,

thanks to the talent of artists

and acoustics of the venue.

For Joseph, adding a choir

was another step in the forma-

tion of the Queensboro Music

Society in Queens.

“It originated with a Town

Hall Series of chamber mu-

sic concerts presented by the

orchestra members,” said Jo-

seph.

Anton Bruckner’s “Te

Deum” was the 25-minute

hymn that featured the choir,

led by choir director Jin Soo

Lee. There are 25 members of

the choir, and it was clear from

the performance that the sing-

ers were either professional or

semi-professional.

“Te Deum” highlighted the

orchestra, chorus, and four

soloists. Soprano Hee Jung

Lee, born in Seoul, South Ko-

rea, is a member of the Car-

amoor Opera. Alto Sahoko

Sato Timpone, a native of To-

kyo who grew up in Germany

and the United States, has an

impressive background of

performances throughout the

world, and is also a member of

the Met Opera Chorus. Tenor

Hyun Ho Cho is a graduate of

Mannes School of Music PSD.

Singing Bass was Joseph Han,

a second-prize winner of the

East Coast International Com-

petition at the Music Institute

of Long Island.

Joseph’s compositions “Cry

of a Butterf ly” and “First

Tears of Spring” opened the

evening’s presentation as as-

sistant Concertmaster Hana-

ko Miyajima took her seat. It

was easy to tell that what fol-

lowed would be an example of

greatness.

This awe-inspiring pro-

gram, led by maestro Dong-

Hyun Kim, included Max

Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy”

for violin with orchestra and

harp, featuring Japanese-

born violinist and Concert-

master Kae Nakano, who is a

“virtuoso.”

Queensboro Symphony

Chamber Music Society, a

small group from the orches-

tra, will be performing at

Flushing Town Hall on Friday,

June 23, at 11 am. The Queens-

boro Symphony Orchestra has

its season opener on October