At 3PM on Saturday, February 28, the halls of Grace Episcopal Church will echo with the sounds of Brahms, Britten, and Schubert as part of a joint program between the Newton-based New Philharmonia Orchestra and two emerging artists: 12-year-old Sofia Hernandez-Williams, cellist, and 10-year-old Valerie Bai, violinist. They come together to kick off the program with selections from a striking opening piece – Brahms’ famous Double Concerto, Op. 102 – before the orchestra plays two other works on its own. Prior to the concert, a brief talk will be led by Newton resident and theatre historian Dr. Barbara Wallace Grossman.
The New Philharmonia Orchestra has been a part of Newton’s cultural landscape since its founding in 1995. Its goal is to provide “music for all” through concerts “of, by, and for the people.” Concerts typically feature full orchestra performances, sometimes combined with interactive elements like an “instrument petting zoo,” where children can try out different orchestral instruments, or partnerships with organizations like the Boston Ballet School. However, the “Young at Heart” concert will mark the first time the orchestra has partnered with youth soloists in such a setting.
Soloists Sofia and Valerie have known each other for nearly their entire musical careers. They first met when placed in the same small ensemble, as part of a program organized by the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO). At the time, Sofia and Valerie belonged to different orchestras under the BYSO system. Since then, both players have advanced to the organization’s highest-level orchestra: the Boston Youth Symphony. Not only do they regularly play together in this large-group setting, but they have continued to play chamber music through forming their own piano trio at the Rivers School Conservatory. Valerie and Sofia, joined by pianist Clara Chen, form “Trio Nannerl,” named after the affectionate nickname for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s sister, Maria Anna Mozart. Under the coaching of Rivers faculty member Alexander Badalov, the trio qualified in 2024 for the Senior Division semifinals at the ninth annual ensemble competition hosted by the Chamber Music Foundation of New England.
The world of music is often said to be difficult to navigate for professional, adult players, but these two young musicians have said that they aim to make names for themselves in that environment nonetheless. Sofia explained her drive to continue advancing towards the professional level as an outgrowth of this inspiration: “When you hear all the great players, and you just wonder how it feels to be up there on a stage, [making] a beautiful sound…I guess you’d say, ‘I want to know what that feels like.’”
That same motivation to seek a high level of musical education moved Valerie to study with celebrated violinist Stefan Jackiw, who lives in New York. Though she typically attends private lessons via Zoom, from time to time Valerie chooses to make the hours-long trip across states as well. Some might think that adding hours of transportation time is an unnecessary hassle, but to Valerie, it’s a worthwhile trade-off for quality instruction.
Individually, Sofia and Valerie have already achieved a significant amount of musical success. They began playing at ages five and four, respectively, and since then they have won competitions such as the BYSO Concerto Competition and Junior Division of the Sphinx Competition.
Despite their large commitments of time and effort, Valerie and Sofia have said that they are not single-minded in their pursuit of music: they have varied interests and hobbies. Valerie, a Newton resident, likes to draw and play sports at her school, while Sofia enjoys solving math problems and tending to a wide variety of houseplants. While Sofia’s mother is an associate director at the Joy of Music Program in Worcester, MA, her father works as a luthier, fixing and building string instruments. The 7/8 size violin that audiences will hear Valerie play during the “Young at Heart” concert was built by Sofia’s father, adding a layer of connection between the players and their instruments.
This closeness between player and instrument isn’t the only form of connection that will be present at the New Philharmonia Orchestra’s concert: The bond between soloists and orchestra members will likely also be strengthened. The musicians on the “Young at Heart” program span generations, and their impact on audiences has the potential to be timeless.
New Philharmonia Orchestra’s “Young At Heart” concert will take place on Saturday, February 28 at 3PM at Grace Episcopal Church (76 Eldredge Street, Newton Corner). See a video preview of the Double Concerto with piano here.
Chloe Carrano is a Fig City News student reporter and a sophomore at Newton South High School.
