Young Windsor musicians to play newly discovered Mozart piece in historic performance
They're believed to be first youth trio in North America to perform this work publicly
A group of young Windsor, Ont., musicians is getting a historic opportunity to play a newly discovered composition by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
This weekend, a trio from the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra (WSYO) will perform Mozart's Ganz Kleine Nachtmusik before a concert. They're believed to be the first youth trio in North America to perform this work in public.
"It's definitely exciting," Norah Bellmore, 14, told Windsor Morning. "You really want to make sure that you're doing a good job to perform it well."
The piece was written for two violins and a cello by Mozart in the 1760s, when the legendary composer was between 10 and 13 years old.
It was tucked away in the archives at the Leipzig Municipal Library in Germany, unplayed and unknown for more than 250 years until researchers archiving the library's Mozart section discovered it in September.
"It's a piece for string trio, so two violins and a cello. It's sort of seven short bite-sized pieces of music, and it's lovely," said Geoffrey Larson, the WSYO's music director.
"I knew immediately that we had to give our students an opportunity to play this music."
A flattering experience
Norah will be joined by 13-year-old Ruby Tullio on violin, and 12-year-old Caleb Liem completes the trio at the cello.
The three musicians will play before the Windsor Symphony Orchestra's (WSO) masterworks performances this weekend — at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday and 1:35 p.m. on Sunday — with the concert starting about an hour later. The piece will be performed twice on each day.
"This new Mozart is just a wonderful appetizer for the main dish that the WSO gives us in this masterworks performance, and this is Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, which is probably the most high-powered Beethoven's Symphony that there is," said Larson, also the WSO's assistant conductor.
The trio were picked from the WSYO, a full orchestra of skilled musicians aged 13 to 22. It's one of two youth orchestras run by the WSO.
Tullio said she's flattered to have the opportunity to play the piece this weekend.
"I started [playing instruments] a little bit later than everyone else, so it's kind of nice to know that I'm able to be with other people and play," she said.
Bellmore said the piece is a fun one to play. She enjoys playing music with such a joyful and upbeat tone.
For the most part, the trio didn't find a the piece a challenging one to learn.
"It's relatively simple," Bellmore said. "There are a few passages throughout the music [that are] a little bit more challenging to play."
"A few rhythm spots [were troubling], but other than that it was really good," Tullio added.
Liem is pleased with the simplicity of the cello parts — and the opportunity to make history.
"[It's] nice because it's the first time in North America" this work will be played by youth, he said.
Inspiring the next generation
Larson said the new Mozart piece shows what an incredible composer he was, even from such a young age.
"Just to hear the joy and the creativity that is overflowing in this music … and to have our young students performing this is one of the many special opportunities that we love to feature in the organization," he said.
The fact that Mozart wrote the composition at such a young age is inspiring for Bellmore.
"We could not become like Mozart or anything, but if we really wanted to put our minds to, like, composing music, it's not impossible," she said.
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