At 17 years old, junior Ethan Yung has been playing the violin for 12 of those 17 years. The student initially began playing his instrument thanks to his older brother, former Huron Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Bryce Yung.
Like many young musicians, Yung didn’t truly enjoy playing the violin in his youth, reluctant to practice or rehearse. However, the orchestral community and its people helped him learn to love his instrument.
“I saw playing violin in orchestra or by myself as more of a chore than a passion,” Yung said, “but after meeting great people in the music community and improving at violin, I started to find more enjoyment in playing.”
Last week, on Jan. 23, 2025, Yung travelled to Grand Rapids, MI to participate in the annual Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) All-State Orchestra performance at the Michigan Music Conference (MMC). Every year young musicians across every state in the country audition for their respective state orchestras, bands, jazz bands, or choirs. The accepted few are granted the opportunity to rehearse together for a scant couple of days before performing their repertoire at a showcase concert.
“I’ve auditioned for All-State four times and been selected three times,” Yung said. “This year has been a unique experience, being an upperclassman and having younger people look up to me. We’ve also been playing more contemporary and diverse pieces than what I’m used to. I prefer to play more classical and romantic pieces, but the new selection has helped me learn new things I wouldn’t have known before. I’ve also met new people at All-State who share lots of interests with me and have helped me come to love the violin again.”
Outside of school and All-State, Yung has also played in a handful of youth orchestras such as Civic Youth Ensembles (CYE) in Detroit and University of Michigan’s Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO).
“At CYE I went from Concert Orchestra to Philharmonic to Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra,” Yung said. “I’ve gone from sitting in the back of lower level orchestras to section leaders in music festivals. I also tried MYSO for a year, but didn’t like it.”
Regarding the future, Yung plans to continue playing the violin throughout his high school career and possibly in college.
“I want to learn as much as possible, and if I improve enough, dual major in music and something else,” Yung said. “For now, I need to refine my technique and apply to local competitions.”
