【《We Chinese in America》Media February 9, 2026】 (By our correspondent) Last Saturday evening, the Bel Canto Performance Foundation 10th Anniversary Memorial Concert was held grandly in San Diego. The concert brought together outstanding musicians from the local area and across the United States. Through a program rich in content, diverse in style, and exquisitely produced, the event reviewed the foundation’s decade of artistic cultivation and its achievements in nurturing talent.

The Bel Canto Performance Foundation was founded in 2016 by the renowned vocalist and educator Ms. Lucy C. Lin (林秋美). Since its inception, the foundation has insisted on hosting annual concerts to provide a high-level performance stage for young musicians. Over these ten years, many young artists who first emerged on the Bel Canto stage have since become active in famous symphony orchestras, opera houses, and international music festivals, becoming an important part of the new generation of musical power.

（林秋美 (Lucy C. Lin))

The repertoire for this 10th-anniversary memorial concert was uniquely curated, spanning classical vocal works, chamber music, Western instrumental pieces, and East-West fusion works. The concert opened with "Laudate Dominum" from Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore, performed by soprano Emily Yun Li and the San Diego Chinese CHoral Society (華聖合唱團）. The solemn and pure melody set an elegant tone for the entire evening.

（ "Laudate Dominum", Chorus: San Diego Chinese Choral Society）

(Soprano Solo: Emily Yun Li, Piano: Sifeng Shen)

Subsequently, several chamber music works showcased the exquisite collaborative chemistry of the musicians. Flutist Elena Yarritu, cellist Daniel Grab, and pianist ChoHyun Park performed a trio by Jean Françaix with clear structure and agile rhythm; pianists Lesi Mei and ChoHyun Park collaborated on a Rachmaninoff suite for two pianos, winning warm applause with its rich emotion and brilliant technique.

(Flute: Elena Yarritu)

(Cello-Flute-Piano Trio: Daniel Grab, Elena Yarritu, Cho-Hyun Park)

(Piano Duo: Lesi Mei, Cho-Hyun Park)

(Pianist from New York: Peter Fancovic)

The vocal segments were equally brilliant. Soprano Carly Cummings sang "Porgi Amor" from Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro with delicate tone and sincere emotion; baritone Erik van Heyningen performed "Ah! per sempre io ti perdei" from Bellini's opera I Puritani, demonstrating mature and tension-filled operatic expression. A quartet composed of Emily Yun Li, Min Teng, Howard Liu, and Erik van Heyningen performed "Soave sia il vento". Their balanced harmony and rich layering fully reflected Bel Canto's high requirements for vocal collaboration and overall musicality.

(Soprano: Carly Cummings)

（Baritone: Erik van Heyningen）

（ Erik van Heyningen, Emily Yun Li, Min Teng, Howard Liu）

The instrumental performances were also wonderful and diverse. Violinist Filip Pogády performed Kreisler’s "Variations on a Theme of Corelli" and Paganini’s "Carnival of Venice," featuring dazzling technique without losing musical depth; cellist Francisco Vila performed Cassadó’s "Prelude and Fantasy" with a deep tone and restrained emotion. Trumpeter James Vaughen and pianist Peter Fancovic presented trumpet adaptations of works by Florence Price, Debussy, and Chopin, showcasing the trumpet’s rich expression in both lyricism and technique. Flutist Elena Yarritu, with her clear and agile tone across multiple pieces, was one of the highlights of the evening's chamber music performances.

（Trumpet: James Vaughen）

（Violin: Filip Pogády）

（Cello: Francisco Vila）

（ Duo: Violinist Filip Pogády, Cellist Francisco Vila）

The concert also specially presented programs blending Eastern and Western music. Deep in the Bamboo Forest was performed by Weiping Wang (Yangqin),  Hao Wen (Guzheng), and Xinyu Wang (Hulusi). The Eastern instrumental colors were exceptionally charming in the Western concert hall, embodying the foundation’s inclusive artistic philosophy.

（ "Deep in the Bamboo Forest", Yangqin: Weiping Wang, Guzheng: Hao Wen, Hulusi: Xinyu Wang）

The concert came to a successful conclusion with a "Waltz Medley" by Strauss, arranged by Ms. Lucy C. Lin. All the musicians performed together on stage as melodies such as "The Blue Danube" and "Tales from the Vienna Woods" intertwined, symbolizing the fruitful results of ten years of cultivation and signifying a new starting point for the Bel Canto Performance Foundation as it moves into its next decade.

(Finale: "Waltz Medley")

The wonderful performances of the musicians won rounds of applause from the audience. The audience gave high praise to the concert, which was personally planned and directed by Ms. Lin, who is over eighty years old. Wendy, an audience member who previously worked in the arts, stated: "The performers invited were all very excellent professional musicians. With their professional and wonderful interpretations, they presented a true visual and auditory feast for the audience... I pay tribute to Ms. Lin’s hard work and dedication, and I also thank the artists for their brilliant performances".

This 10th-anniversary concert also experienced a thrilling interlude. The concert was originally planned to be held in the professional theater of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, but at 5:30 PM on the day of the performance, when the musicians arrived, they discovered the theater had a sudden power outage for unknown reasons. As the concert faced forced cancellation and hundreds of audience members already on their way might have had to return home, Ms. Lin, with an insistent attitude of responsibility toward the audience and the arts, continued to communicate and coordinate with the center. Ultimately, the concert was moved to the indoor gymnasium at the other end of the building. Staff and volunteers acted quickly, moving two pianos from the theater to the gymnasium and setting up over 300 chairs within just half an hour, ensuring the concert started on time. As a result, the venue was packed to capacity, and some audience members even stood throughout the performance. This unexpected episode became one of the most moving memories of the evening.

Over the past ten years, Ms. Lin has discovered and cultivated many highly potential young musicians. While attending her niece's high school graduation, she noticed James Vaughen, who was then still a student, and invited him to the Bel Canto stage multiple times. Today, James has grown into the principal trumpet of the Minnesota Orchestra and will take up the position of principal trumpet for the Philadelphia Orchestra this fall. Similarly, while watching a musical at Poway High School, Ms. Lin discovered the artistic potential of Erik van Heyningen, who was playing a supporting role. She encouraged him to pursue systematic vocal studies and challenged him by saying: "If I don't see you on stage in five years, then you have failed". Today, Erik has become a baritone at the Frankfurt Opera in Germany. For this concert, he specially flew to San Diego to perform, which was both a commitment to art and a deep expression of gratitude to his mentor.

The 10th Anniversary Memorial Concert was not only a high-level artistic presentation but also a testament to heritage and hope. Just as the foundation’s original intention suggests, the Bel Canto stage will continue to light the way for young musicians, ensuring that the art of fine singing is passed down from generation to generation. Filip, the famous violinist from New York who has participated in every Bel Canto concert, said: "I hope I can participate in Bel Canto concerts for another ten years!"

(Text/Photo: Hugh Wang (王惠豫))

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