Annett Ho ’18, the principal first violin of Choate’s Symphony Orchestra, received a standing ovation for her solo performance of Henry Wieniawski’s “Violin Concerto No. 1” in F sharp minor at the fall concert. According to Mr. Phil Ventre, conductor of the Choate Symphony Orchestra, “Few violinists even attempt to play this piece, and the ones that do are some of the best soloists in the world.” Though Ho perfected this piece in just a few months, she has been playing violin for over a decade.
At age six, after hearing a violin CD in the car one day, she became captivated by the instrument and soon picked it up on her own volition. “My grandparents actually opposed it because it would squeak too much,” she joked. Once she started taking lessons, she spent most of her free time practicing, but after several years, she began to feel isolated, blaming music. “In my freshman year, I was on the verge of quitting. I thought of music as a burden and lost motivation,” Ho confessed reluctantly. Upon arriving at Choate, she felt like she entered an entirely new opportunity for her passion and found herself being able to dedicate herself to music but still enjoy time with her friends or pursue other interests outside of music.
Her own practicing ritual varies day to day, from at least one hour to up to 10 during breaks. For her, violin is a key part of her life. “It’s like a routine to me, I feel really unproductive if I don’t touch the violin one day,” she said. For Ho, there’s always room for improvement. She always motivates herself by constantly trying to improve.
During her weekends, Ho attends the Juilliard pre-college where she immerses herself in a world of music, learning a multitude of topics from ear training to theory to private lessons. The orchestra at Juilliard is where she often finds inspiration. “Just the opportunity to play with people that are so talented and to create such beautiful music empowers me,” she said.
Her diligence doesn’t go unnoticed either. “She’s very determined and focused,” said Mr. Ventre with admiration. In addition to her violin skills, Mr. Ventre commented on her personality, “She has all the necessary characteristics for a young virtuoso musician. She’s kind, caring, a great leader, has an effervescent personality, and also sincerity of purpose.”
Yolanda Wang ’20, a fellow violinist in the symphony orchestra said, “She’s so expressive and passionate, I admire her greatly.” During the performance, although Ho gave off an aura of confidence, she was secretly terrified inside. “I actually have terrible stage fright, but when I looked at the front row, I saw a group of my classmates silently encouraging me, and that really helped me to relax,” said Ho. “I didn’t really perform to show off my skills, my only hope is that through my music I’ve touched somebody in the audience, or changed their perspective on music,” she said. And indeed she did: “After hearing Annett play, I was both surprised and inspired by her ability and passion,” said Niki Gummadi ’21.
When asked if Ho’s future plans include music, she adamantly says yes. Although she’s unsure if she’s going to pursue a career as a soloist because of how cutthroat the music world is, she is determined not to abandon the violin. Concluded Mr. Ventre, “I’m immensely proud of Annett and am honored to have had the opportunity to work with her.”
