Julianne Arakaki, ’27, a standout violinist and first chair of the Redwood Orchestra, has recently taken her musical career to new heights, winning prestigious competitions including the College of the Sequoias Concerto Competition and the Kings Symphony Young Artist Competition.
By: Tara Khazaeizadeh
Arakaki provides a deeper dive into her world of music.
“I’ve been playing for roughly ten years, and have won superior in command performance in the local CMEA [California Music Educators Association], and also the California State CMEA. I’ve also been in the all state orchestras in high school and middle school, and CODA [California Orchestra Directors Association],” says Arakaki.
Arakaki also placed in the higher division of CODA, otherwise referred to as Symphony CODA.
“I started [competing] around seven, when I started doing the CMEA locally here, and roughly around ten I started doing the state level CMEA and I started getting superiors there,” says Arakaki.
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When asked how they made her feel, Arakaki said, “They made me feel really excited and I just wanted to continue with music.”
With her recent win at College of the Sequoias, Arakaki shares her experience.
“It was really cool. I was very nervous at first, but the judges seemed very nice and I was able to keep my composure and do what I’ve been rehearsing.”
It is key to know that these orchestras and competitions are very difficult to be awarded, and require extensive practice and commitment. When asked about her practicing, Arakaki said, “I put into one to three hours per day depending on my schedule.”
“I owe my success to my violin teacher Rudolfina [of ten years]. She taught me everything I know and has just been pushing me and having me strive to do my best.”
Mr. Rodney Yokota, the teacher and conductor of the Redwood Chamber and intermediate Orchestras, has been Arakaki’s orchestra teacher since fifth grade at Oak Grove Elementary School.
“[Julianne] is our concertmaster in our orchestra which is the first chair first violin. She’s been playing violin for years, and is very focused on her practicing and playing, and been successful in different competitions.”
“She’s been first chair in the COS Symphony, TKMEA honor orchestra, one of the Junior High All-State groups, and has been a member of the CODA String and Symphony Orchestra,” Yokota says.
Yokota also said, “It’s a big honor to win those high-level competitions, definitely, because it’s not just high schoolers, its also college-level students as well going for these. Even the Kings Symphony one that she won, it’s usually students from the whole area. Fresno students, Clovis students are in those competitions, so she’s not just competing with local students, it’s a wider range of beating out those people, it’s a big honor.”
Make sure to come out and support Arakaki on March 16th at the Hanford Fox Theater, and April 22nd at the Visalia Fox Theater.
Yokota says, “She’s going to do great. These are the first of many competition wins she’s going to have.”
Tara Khazaeizadeh
Tara Khazaeizadeh is a first-year journalism student as well as a freshman who does photography for the Redwood Gigantea and writes for the Arts and Entertainment section. She is excited and ready to take great pictures and to learn from other photographers and writers.
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