George Yang (’26) lifts his violin slowly to his chin as the orchestra quiets behind him. Clear, smooth sound escapes as his left hand shifts swiftly across the fingerboard and his right guides the bow skillfully over the violin strings. He stands confidently at the front of the stage, and his classmates join in periodically to accompany him for his solo. Gradually, George’s music combines with the sound of the orchestra as he plays alongside his classmates at the 2026 Spring Orchestra Concert.

George’s musical journey began 10 years ago when he joined his elementary school’s ensemble, and his consistency and perseverance brought him to his success today. He serves as Tri-M’s president and Harker’s concertmaster; however, competitions and titles are only a small part of his love for music. He believes firmly in using his musical talent to service others. His journey in music has taken him from Harker’s orchestra to an orphanage in Kenya, where he strives to help others with his knowledge.

George’s success in violin began from sticking to a systematic schedule and practicing an hour every day. Insights and recommendations from his teacher Jiwon Evelyn Kwark keep him motivated throughout the week, and he believes the daily commitment sets a good musician apart from a bad one, even when the practices are not as fulfilling.

“Music can get boring sometimes,” George said. “Especially for competitions, you’re practicing one or two pieces for half a year to a year’s time, and sometimes it’s very unmotivating because you’re just practicing the same thing over and over again. But you have to recognize that that is how you manage to achieve as close to perfection as you can.”

Through striving to perform his best, George learned the importance of perseverance throughout his journey as a musician. Even in the face of setbacks, like not receiving his ideal chair, he values the lessons he gained from those experiences. 

“Being a musician is always constantly evolving, and sometimes it’s important to recognize that you’re not at a level where you want to be or where you should be, and that’s okay,” George said. “It’s okay to accept that fact, and the more important thing is to reflect.”

Orchestra director Jaco Wong first met George when he shadowed for the orchestra and participated in the class firsthand. The orchestra members were playing very challenging music, yet George jumped in to play right away instead of just passively observing, which left a strong impression on Wong. Since then, he has witnessed George’s growth both as a musician and a person in orchestra over the past four years. Hearing the amount of artistry coming into his pieces, Wong decided to entrust a difficult quartet solo to George.

“I knew he could do it, that I could rely on him for accuracy and that he would work on it on his own,” Wong said. “It’s not only because he’s a great violinist, starting from the get-go, but also his way of carrying himself: really maturely, very grounded person, very responsible and just very easy to talk to as well.”

While George practices electric guitar at home and posts covers on YouTube of popular songs like “Die With A Smile” by Bruno Mars, he noticed that playing alone could sometimes become monotonous. He believes music is not simply about having the best instruments but also about creating community through opportunities to play with friends, like his trio with Mindy Truong (’26) and Aya Sugaya (’26).

Mindy met George in orchestra in sophomore year, and she has always been impressed by his ability to balance violin, academics and many other activities. George’s discipline and stability as a friend are very valuable to her.

“No matter the amount of questions you’ll ask, he’ll always try his best to answer it,” Mindy said. “He’s a very helpful, considerate and patient person. He was one of the first friends that I made in orchestra and one of the people that convinced me to stay in orchestra throughout the years. He helps me find connection through music with others, so that has definitely been a turning point in my life.”

Aditya Ramanathan (’26) met George in frosh year and became one of George’s closest friends. He notes that while some of their friends are on the serious or funny side, he always admires George’s unique ability to find the right balance, and he trusts him in everything.

“We talk about everything, whether it’s about school classes, extracurriculars, outside life, fun, playing games together, meeting up for dinner with the rest of our friend group,” Aditya said. “He’s always been the source of support for me when I need to talk to him about something that’s going on. I can turn to George for anything in my life.”

Outside of participating in orchestra at school, George helps children with autism and down syndrome at Friends of Children With Special Needs on the weekends by teaching violin and guitar, doing sports workshops and practicing social-emotional learning with them. He also applies his musical skills to volunteer for orphanages, traveling to Child of Mercy Children’s Orphanage in Kenya to teach music to children during his summers.

Before his first lesson at Child of Mercy Children’s Orphanage, George had sent instructional videos to the students, but the scene when he walked into the classroom really inspired him. He reflected on how kids in California do not realize how much privilege they have to access so many resources.

“It was 20 kids in front of one computer, and they were completely focused,” George said. “None of them were having side conversations, and they practiced everything that I sent them beforehand perfectly. I was really inspired. These kids completely took advantage of all their time. They were so driven. I realized that using music could change people’s lives in that moment.”

George thinks back to his experience in Kenya as proof that there is always a way to further one’s education regardless of background. He derives meaning from his learning and experience participating in all these activities through using his knowledge to help others.

“Everyone finds meaning in their own life,” George said. “For me, that meaning comes from my family, my music and helping others. Doing music is not just something to win competitions or to look good on my college applications. It’s just an amazing tool in general for servicing others.”