Pietro Locatelli - Concerto in E Minor for Violin, Op. 3, No. 8; Mi-Young Park, Soloist

A live concert performance by violinist Mi-Young Park, one of Efrem Zimbalist’s last protégés at the Curtis Institute of Music - an old audio tape with Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, Marc Mostovoy, conductor. (Music: 12:53) The tape’s fidelity and balances are uneven, but Mi-Young Park’s superb musicianship shines through. Her sense of style, thoughtful phrasing, mastery of nuance, and depth of feeling coalesce in a highly individualistic interpretation. Note her exceptionally tasteful ornamentation throughout, especially in the second movement which absolutely requires such treatment. She uses the original Locatelli cadenzas rather then the extended capriccios, the latter being important exercise studies but not musically engaging. MI-YOUNG PARK was born in 1948 in Seoul, Korea, where she began her violin studies at the age of seven. After winning First Prize at the Korean National Music Competition, she appeared as soloist with the Seoul Philharmonic and the Korean Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra. At age fourteen, she was accepted by Efrem Zimbalist as a full scholarship student to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Upon Zimbalist’s retirement in 1968, Ms. Park continued her studies at Curtis with Ivan Galamian and Paul Makanowitzky. While at the Curtis Institute and following her graduation, she performed as soloist and member of Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia concertizing throughout the USA and abroad. She also gave recitals with her sister, pianist Pong-Hi, for more than forty years, performing repertoire spanning three centuries. At a relatively young age, due to health issues, she limited her appearances to the Philadelphia region, performing until 2005. She is now retired and lives in center city Philadelphia. This performance is a testament to the extraordinary talent and “old world“ musicianship of violinist, Mi-Young Park.