top of page

A Letter from
Charles Neidich
on the creation of the Wa Sinfonietta

It is with great excitement that I announce the newest project of the Artena Foundation: the inauguration of a unique training orchestra, the Wa Sinfonietta. 

The Wa Sinfonietta is the first step in expanding our mission in the educational sphere where young musicians can hone their instrumental and ensemble skills as they begin their professional lives, and deepen their understanding of music so they can become effective advocates for its power to foster cooperation and its essential importance in bringing people together from all walks of life in today’s world. 

Our first season will begin modestly with two concerts, the first on March 23rd at 7:30pm at the Good Shepherd Church, and the second on May 13th at 7:30pm at the DiMenna Center. Both, in the spirit of WA, will have both new and old, and to help the first steps of the Sinfonietta, I will be taking a significant role.

The first of the concerts, on March 23rd at the Good Shepherd Church, will take its inspiration from the concert on October 25th, 1885 of the Meiningen Court Orchestra where Brahms conducted the world premiere of his 4th Symphony, op.98. As in the Meiningen concert, we will begin with the Mendelssohn Overture to the Legend of the Beautiful Melusine, op. 32.  The Mozart Basset Clarinet Concerto, Kv 622 will follow, and, after intermission, the Brahms 4th Symphony will end the concert, with, as Brahms insisted for the premiere, a much smaller number of strings to give more weight to the winds. What will be most special about the performance and may change the entire nature of the symphony, though, will be the inclusion of the haunting 4 bar introduction, which Brahms thought to add, but was convinced not to. I hazard to say, this may be the first world premiere of a Brahms symphony, since 1885.


The second of the concerts, on May 13th at the DiMenna Center, will include two American premieres of works of the great composer, who has only recently been rediscovered, Mieczysław Weinberg: his Clarinet Concerto op. 104 and his last work, the 4th Chamber Symphony op. 153


Charles Neidich

 


WA, “和,” is a very special word in Japanese: a circle or ring symbolizing harmony, completeness, the continuity of past, present, future, and the unity of all of humankind.

2025 Musicians

Meet the 2025 Musicians

Violins

   Hahnsol Kim, Concertmaster

   Stanichka Dimitrova, Principal

   Claire Arias-Kim

   Elijah Bui

   Shaleah Feinstein

   Dylan Hamme

   Yuyu Ikeda

   Ashley Kim

   Blaire Kim

   Dawn Kim

   Ensley Kim

   Yubin Kim

   Abby Ko

   Christophe Koenig

   Natsuko Kojmia

   Hanke Li

   Marino Nagira

   Cedar Newman

   Tommu Su

 

Violas

   Aditi Prakash, Principal

   Natalie Brennecke

   Theodore Froelich

   Yoona Park

   Elijah Spies

 

Cellos

   Ian Lum, Principal

   Kam Kin Chen

   Lila Holyoke

   Julia MinJeong Kang

   Sara Strozzo

 

Double Bass

   Ruth Christopher

   Dominic Law

   Antonio Suarez

   Tyler Vittoria

  

Flute

   Arianna Bendit

   JiYoung Kim

 

Oboe

   Aaron Haettenschwiller

   Myles Meader

 

Clarinet

   Yoonah Kim

   Chadwick Thomas

 

Bassoon

   Trey Coudret*

   Austin Wegener

   Christian Whitacre

     *Also contrabassoon

 

Horn

   Torrin Hallet

   Blair Hamrick

   Mychal Nishimura

   Franco Ortiz

 

Trumpet

   Sam Atlas

   Rui Wang

 

Trombone

   Andrew Ennis

   Sara Mayo

   Alexander Theiss

 

Timpani

   Tomoya Aomori

 

Triangle

   Julian Dippolito

bottom of page