http://www.thelandmark.com/articles/wrhs-senior-plays-with-boston-youth-symphony-orchestra-in-germany/

The Landmark | July 11, 2018

By Rachel Ettlinger From playing the cello in her home as a 5-year-old to the big stage in the Altenburg Castle in Bamburg, Germany as a rising Wachusett Regional High School (WRHS) senior, Kaede Ishidate’s passion for music has taken her throughout the New England area and, now, around the world. “It’s definitely become a really good form of expression and communication for me,” Ishidate said. As a consistent member of the orchestra programs in the Wachusett Regional School District, Ishidate will start her fourth year with the chamber orchestra at WRHS in the fall. She has also been a student at the Joy of Music Program (JOMP) in Worcester for about 10 years. But five years ago, Ishidate joined the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, which has allowed her to perform in the Boston Symphony Hall and throughout the city. Most recently, the group ventured across the pond to Leipzig, Germany, which is “a really old center of music in Europe,” Ishidate said. During the 10-day trip, the orchestra performed with the youth choir of the Gewandhaus, “a really famous Opera house,” Ishidate said. “We had this cultural exchange and we got to stay with German host families,” Ishidate said. “Along with the music part, we also got to see what it was like to experience life in Germany and what the family life was like, so that was also really cool to get to share experiences like that.” Her abilities that led her to Europe started when she was a child, she said. Her mother was learning how to play the cello from a friend, and when that friend suggested Ishidate try the instrument, she became instantly hooked. From that point on as Ishidate learned to read books, she also learned to read music. Ishidate’s favorite musical artist is Jacqueline du Pré, and she had the opportunity to play du Pré’s Devours Jacque Cello Concerto at a May concert in the Mechanics Hall in Worcester with JOMP. “I can tell that she puts so much emotion into her playing and it just pours out through her sound and it is really emotionally impacting,” Ishidate said. “I love listening to recordings like that because that inspires me and gives me new ideas to try to incorporate into my own playing and my own style.” Over the summer she is participating in the three-week National Youth Orchestra 2 program at the Statue University of New York, Purchase campus. Since her early musical beginning, Ishidate’s passion for the instrument and for music in general has continued to grow. “I’ve always been really shy since I was little,” Ishidate said. “I think playing the cello and doing music and getting to play music with a bunch of other people has really helped me come out of my shell and connect with a lot of people that I probably wouldn’t have met if I had not played the cello and done music.”