Pre-College on 'Now Hear This'

By Susan Jackson

This spring, Juilliard Pre-College will be featured on the PBS classical music show Now Hear This in an episode about the support, training, and nurturing of young artists. The episode represents a homecoming for the host of Now Hear This, Scott Yoo (Pre-College ’89, violin). But first a little background.

In 2016, Yoo was taking part in a concert of the Brahms trios, and beforehand, he talked to the audience about how you can trace Brahms’ musical maturity through these three pieces. “Only seven people came to the explanation part, and I was crestfallen,” Yoo told the Journal. “But one of the seven happened to have been a PBS producer, and he said afterward, ‘you should have your own show.’ I thought, ‘yeah, right.’ But he called me three weeks later—and within a year, we were in Milan, shooting a pilot [for what would become Now Hear This, a classical music show]. And a year after that, PBS greenlighted us. It was dizzying. The lesson—and I try to tell this to every student—is, you never know who’s going to be in the audience, so every single time you present yourself, you have to take it seriously, because you never know who’ll be there.”

Yoo studied at Pre-College before attending Harvard and embarking on a career as a performer and then a conductor—he’s led the Mexico City Philharmonic since 2016. And then he added Now Hear This to his portfolio.

The Pre-College episode, which is scheduled to air in April, features four Pre-College students: Wilson Liu (piano, age 9), Bode Nickerson (trombone, 12), Olivia Shidler (harp, 14), and Isaac Thomas (composition, 12). It also features faculty members Hung-Kuan Chen, Nancy Allen (BM 76, MM 77, harp), and Trevor Weston as well as Weston Sprott, dean and director of the Preparatory Division.

“Highlighting the work of Pre-College students and faculty on Now Hear This is a great opportunity to share with the world what’s possible when young people commit to a serious artistic pursuit,” Sprott said.

How was being back at Juilliard?

Scott Yoo: I hadn’t been back much even though my wife (Alice Dade [BM ’02, MM ’04, flute]) and I are both alums. The fifth floor has changed a lot and so has the entrance. For a scene we filmed in Paul Hall, I selected a Mozart sonata (K. 301) to play with Wilson. It was the first sonata—the first piece of music that wasn’t written for children—that I’d played in public as a child, and I remember thinking then, “I want to do this the rest of my life.” So it was a little bit full circle when I played it with Wilson.

What do you want audiences to take away from the episode?

SY: How amazing kids are! And while in some ways, things have never been more different than they are now—we have AI and self-driving cars—kids are still learning to play piano and violin and compose, and it stimulates them and helps them expand themselves. These are opportunities that we as civilization provide for children and have for hundreds of years. So as much as things change, they remain the same.

The students discussed the filming experience

Wilson Liu: I was quite nervous beforehand because I was representing Juilliard, not just myself. I was worried about being asked questions I wouldn’t know the answers to or if my piano playing wouldn’t be good enough, which would affect the quality and process. But when I got into the filming, the process went very smoothly. All the staff members were efficient and well-organized, and the director and host were very patient. I gradually relaxed, and playing the piano became a kind of sharing and enjoyment even though the surroundings were full of lights, cameras, and staff. And I really enjoyed performing with Scott Yoo. Not only is he a renowned musician, but this was also my first chamber music experience, which was novel and exciting.

Olivia Shidler: Filming Now Hear This was one of the most unusual experiences I’ve had as a performer, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity. Having a camera in my face while I was playing wasn’t exactly the most comfortable situation to be in, yet it taught me how to be flexible as a performer in a way I hadn’t experienced before. I’ve done quite a bit of recording at home, but never professionally, and it was intimidating to do take after take in the spotlight. But most of all, it was such an honor to work with Scott Yoo! I really appreciated his comments and suggestions, and thankfully, I was able to follow through on the spot. So, the experience was definitely stressful but mostly exhilarating!

Bode Nickerson: I was a little nervous, but the host and crew were very friendly, and they helped me feel so comfortable that once I started playing my trombone, I was relaxed enough to film my piece in one take. It was also nice to have my teacher, Dean Sprott, filming with me. He makes everything fun, and the filming felt like just another lesson with him. It was cool to learn what it’s like to film a TV show, though I was surprised to see how many people are involved behind-the-scenes and especially how many microphones they needed. They put one in my shirt, one in Dean Sprott’s shirt, one in the piano, one in front of my trombone bell, and they had one on a big pole that they held over us.

Isaac Thomas: Filming the episode was such a thrilling experience! I got to see how everything worked behind the scenes. It was also amazing to meet Scott Yoo. We had great moments of music creation and conversation, and he gave me advice about my career and life in general. The dedication and effort he puts into music was apparent in the thoughtfulness of his questions about the intricacies of the piece I composed. And he’s not only extremely talented, he’s also so down to earth. Though I was a bit nervous at first, within minutes I felt like I was jamming with a friend. It was one of the best days ever—one I’ll always be grateful to have experienced.

>The Pre-College episode of Now Hear This premieres April 12 and will be available to stream at pbs.org/livestream.