Young Artists Symphony Orch Features Julian Zheng on Horn Concerto by R. Strauss

Young Artists Symphony Orchestra (YASO), celebrating its inaugural season and led by Artistic Director Alexander Treger, highlights 22-year-old Principal Horn Julian Zheng, an astonishing rising talent and finalist in the recent Berlin Philharmonic Academy of Music audition, in R. Strauss's virtuosic Concerto for Horn No. 1 in E-flat major, and presents Sibelius's expressive Symphony No. 2 in D major, the most popular of the composer's seven symphonic works, in a free concert on Sunday, February 28, 2016, 7 pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall. Treger also conducts Ginastera's Concerto for Strings. YASO, hailed as a "glorious" (Out West Arts) "musical force to be reckoned with" (LA Opus), champions, mentors and inspires the next generation of outstanding young musicians for careers in classical music.

"Julian Zheng is an extraordinarily gifted artist with tremendous skill and musical élan," says Treger. "We are very excited to showcase him as a soloist with Young Artists Symphony Orchestra. He is a musician you definitely want to see early in his career."

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Zheng began playing the French Horn at the age of 10, winning several local solo brass competitions his first year of study. He was awarded a full music scholarship to Melbourne Grammar, one of the most prestigious high schools in Australia, and soloed with the Melbourne Grammar Symphony and played with both the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Percy Grainger Orchestra. Zheng moved to the United States in 2011 to attend The Colburn School of Music on full scholarship. He has played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Maestro Gustavo Dudamel and has also participated in the New York String Orchestra Seminar, where he played Principal Horn for two concerts in Carnegie Hall under Maestro Jamie Laredo. In 2014, Zheng attended the Boston Symphony's prestigious Tanglewood Music Center. As a soloist, he won First Place in the 45th International Solo Horn Competition and Second Place in the brass division of the 2014 Pasadena Showcase Competition, which also named him "Most Promising Talent." He is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma degree at The Colburn School under the guidance of Andrew Bain, Principal Horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Colburn School, where he studied with both Bain and David Krehbiel. He regularly plays recitals and chamber music in Australia and the United States.

Treger, former concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is "an icon of the Los Angeles musical scene" (LA Opus) whose conducting has been described as "vivid" (The New York Times), "uplifting" (Musical America) and "expertly finessed" (Examiner).

YASO, comprised of dedicated young artists ages 15 to 26 drawn from a variety of schools and conservatories around the Southland, adheres to the high standards and protocols of professional orchestras, providing the orchestra members with the same type of experiences they will encounter as professional artists. YASO members, who receive a stipend for their services, are selected through a rigorous audition process. They perform key works that are an essential part of the core orchestral repertoire and are held to extremely high standards since many of the members will be auditioning directly into professional ensembles. During its inaugural 2015-16 season, YASO presents its final free concert of the season at Royce Hall on Sunday, May 1, 2016.

Admission to the concert is free. Reservations can be made in advance at YASOLA.org or (310) 905-3496. Tickets are also available at the door the night of the concert.