La Sierra Orchestra’s All-Stars concert showcases student musicians

On Saturday, May 12 Shuo Ma, cello, Isabel Serrano, flute, and Jiuyuan Wang, cello, will take the stage for solo performances with the La Sierra University Orchestra at Loma Linda University Church. The concert will begin at 5 p.m. and is free admission.

The All-Stars Concert is part of the Loma Linda University Church Music Ministries Spring Concert which will also feature a performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony choral finale led by Ariel Quintana, La Sierra’s director of choral studies. 

Ma is a native of China and a performer’s certificate student at La Sierra University. He began studying cello at the age of 5 and by age 8, he had received two gold prizes in China’s Ningxia cello competition. In 2011, he performed as a soloist in the Beijing Concert Hall and also performed at the Russian Embassy. He has also appeared at Shandong University and with the China Youth Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, he was awarded the Marcia Specht-Guy Concerto Prize for his cello concerto performance as part of La Sierra’s long-running annual concerto competition.

Serrano, a current freshman at La Sierra University, first started playing the piano at age 9 and the flute at age 10. During high school she performed across the country as a member of the Loma Linda University Youth Orchestra, Loma Linda Academy Wind Symphony, and Loma Linda Symphony Orchestra. In 2017 she won the Promising Young Artist Scholarship Competition at La Sierra University. She is currently an active member and principal flute in the La Sierra University Chamber Music Program, La Sierra University Orchestra, and La Sierra University Wind Ensemble.

Wang, a native of China and a first year performer’s certificate student at La Sierra University, began playing the cello at age 11. In 2011, he performed at the Golden Hall of the Weiner Musikverein in Austria as a member of the Lanzhou City No. 14 High School Symphony Orchestra. In 2012, he was admitted to the Xi’an Conservatory of Music where he studied under Xiaoying Han. At La Sierra, Wang has participated in the production of two music videos and most recently won this year’s All-Stars Concerto Competition. 

Anderson has been the director of orchestra studies at La Sierra for four years. He also serves as music director for the Dana Point Symphony and as artistic director for Symphony Irvine. In 2015, Anderson joined the Montecito International Music Festival acting as the principal orchestra director. He has guest conducted orchestras around the world and was the first American to conduct the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony in Vietnam. As a conductor of opera, he has directed productions with Opera UCLA, the Fullerton College Opera Workshop, and the La Sierra University Opera. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Loma Linda University Church is located at 11125 Campus Street, Loma Linda. For further information email music@lasierra.edu.