Tsang: The Carnegie Cellist

Last year, on November 18, most freshmen had fight tunes from the Harvard. Yale game running through their heads. But Bion Y. Tsang '88 had music of quite a different sort in his head, as he made his Carnegie Hall debut as a solo cellist.

Isang's performance was more than his prize for being one of the three finalists at The Artists International Young Artists competition, a contest for young musicians who have not set made their New York debut. It was the culmination of over ten years of hard work at the cello.

In those ten years, Isange has played twice with the New York Philharmonic and many other concerts with less-renowned companies. He has also appeared on television as part of the CBS Festival for the Arts.

Urged by his parents to learn to play an instrument, Tsang began playing the piano when he was six. He added the cello at age seven, inspired by a concert which his schoolteacher's son gave. "I fell in love with the tone of the cello," he says, adding, "Besides that, everyone was playing the violin."

In a year, Tsang was so proficient at both instruments that he was accepted to the Saturday School at Juliard, and became the youngest musician to attain that honor. Back then, Tsang recalls, he could never have predicted his current plans to be a professional musician, and knew only that he loved music.

The turning point in Tsang's career came six years ago, he says, when he entered the Young Performers' Competition. "I had no idea I was going to win. I had no idea I was even going to play." However, he adds, "As soon as I made the finals, my parents knew that I could take music seriously as a career."

They were not the only ones, says the prospective music concentrator, who now definitively states that he wants to be a cello soloist, and then a composer and or conductor Tsang adds. "I guess it sounds pretty snide, but I am only going to go into professional music it I am the best." And since Isang says that only three or four people can be the best in the cellist world, this may be difficult.

But not too difficult, he adds, saying "I think I have the potential to become one of the greatest cellists." Before this can happen, he says he must over come one of his shot comings-the fact that he doesn't practice enough.

Although he would like to practice five hours a day, his five academic courses usually him form practicing for more than about three hours a day. "A lot of (being a god cellist) has to do with hard work," Isang say.

"You have to have talent, but talent isn't everything. I line I don't need to practice as much as other people."

Sometimes, however, his musical interest can get in the way of his schoolwork since he had to New York every other week during the first semester to practice with the pianist who played with him in his Catnegie debut. Tsang could only take three courses. "I wanted to take Fc 10." Isang says, "But I had to complete the language requirement."

Isang says he chose a liberal arts college over a music conservatory deliberately. "I was sort of bored with the whole idea of a conservatory. All the people are competing with one another, whereas here, everyone is here to help each other." Besides, he adds. "It always helps to have a well founded education. In case something happens to my fingers, I have a backup."

As important as his finger are to him, music is more important, says Isang, adding. "I think I could nver live without it. Whether it's rock or classical."