Wayland High School junior Maereg Million gave a solo performance of Koussevitzky’s Double Bass Concerto movements 1 & 2 with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra on Feb. 8. The audience gave a standing ovation for Million after her performance, and young women crowded around her at intermission.
The Koussevitzky Concerto is a prominent Romantic-era work often performed in three sections (Fast-Slow-Fast). The first two movements, typically played without a pause, are the Allegro and Andante. Koussevitzky, former music director for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, provided one of the most popular concertos for the double bass.
Million is a winner of the Michael H. Welles Wellesley Symphony Young Soloist Competition, which is an annual, decades-old competition for young musicians (often up to age 18) that awards a financial prize and the opportunity to perform a concerto movement with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra. Its purpose is to foster young talent and provide a professional performance experience.
Million started playing musical instruments when she was five years old. Her parents enrolled her in the Boston Symphony’s Intensive Community Program, which provides classical instrumental training to students of underrepresented communities, including African American, Latin, and Caribbean. She is currently the principal bass player for the Boston Youth Symphony, the Wayland High Sinfonia Orchestra, the MMEA Eastern Senior Festival, and the MMEA All-State Festival.
Million has participated in summer festivals and programs at Tanglewood and Juilliard. She played with the Chicago Symphony through the Pathway program. Last spring, Million was one of five Massachusetts students selected to participate in the Carnegie NY02, an intensive summer orchestral training program for outstanding American instrumentalists, ages 14 to 17. She performed at Carnegie Hall and the Edinburgh International Festival as part of that program this past summer.
WSO is a community orchestra in Wellesley with adult musicians from the metropolitan Boston area participating. The music director is Dr. Mark Latham. They present six concerts a season from September to May. To allow everyone an opportunity to hear live classical music, they have a pay-what-you-can philosophy. Although they recommend paying $30 a performance, attendees can pay $5 to $30, depending on what they can afford. For more information, go to tinyurl.com/bdhwfrpp.
WHS junior gives solo performance
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