The recent graduate of Sage Hill School uses his violin to forge human connections.
Whether bringing tears to the eyes of the residents that he plays for at senior centers and assisted living homes or playing violin as a 12-year-old at his first music teacher’s wedding, Albert Gang has always been about sharing his music.
As Gang, a graduate of Sage Hill School in Newport Beach, wrote in his personal statement, he has “learned that the greatest skill the violin offers is the ability to connect with anyone, regardless of background.”
Classical music does not have to be just for blue-haired patrons in tuxedos and formal dresses in stuffy concert halls, he believes.
“As a classical violinist, I harness the power of Brahms and Tchaikovsky to cross a divide across all ages, ethnicities and experiences,” he writes.
In Gang’s hands, the violin becomes much more than just an instrument.
“He strives to find and bring out the meaning and emotion in his repertoire,” said judge Mark Aguero of the Buena Park School District. “Additionally, he is striving to find ways to make his music more accessible to a broader audience.”
Gang’s personal statement reflects the connections he seeks through music.
“The elderly folks in the nursing home and I retain completely different life experiences, yet somehow I can still relate to their tears.