Recognizing Keita And Hayato Ishibashi
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize 2 young men whose musical talents are exceeded only by their commitment and dedication. As a former high school teacher and coach, I know how important it is to recognize the achievements of our youth.…
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize 2 young men whose musical talents are exceeded only by their commitment and dedication. As a former high school teacher and coach, I know how important it is to recognize the achievements of our youth. Keita and Hayato Ishibashi are role models for all who believe that creativity and hard work lead to the American dream of success. Both are students at Rancho Bernardo High School, and both are violinists of the highest caliber.
Only 16 years old, Keita has appeared several times with the San Diego Symphony. In fact, he made his career debut with the San Diego Symphony at the age of 13. Keita performed for the last five summers at the Viana do Castelo International Music Festival in Portugal, and he performed in the summer of 2000 at an international music festival in Saluzzo, Italy. He has a resume that any musical prodigy would be proud of. The high school junior began playing the violin in Tokyo, Japan, at the age of three on a 1/16th size instrument. At the age of four, Keita performed publicly at a concert hall in Japan shortly before coming to the United States with his family. It was not long before he began attending international music festivals in cities that included Seattle, Washington; Santa Rosa, California; and Aspen, Colorado.
Meanwhile, Keita's younger brother Hayato was also starting to get his musical legs. Hayato began taking violin lessons in the United States at the age of four. Soon, he, too, began participating in the same music festivals as his older brother. The purpose of the festivals is to help young artists develop their musicianship through an extensive curriculum that includes experience with master classes, chamber groups, and orchestras.
The sons of Shinji and Akemi Ishibashi have enjoyed many high notes in their young musical careers, and they include numerous prestigious competitions. Earlier this year Keita won the First Place Award in the San Diego Symphony's Young Artist Competition, and he received an Honorable Mention Award at the La Jolla Symphony's Young Artist Competition. At the La Jolla Symphony competition, Keita was the youngest participant in a field of 25-to-30 young musicians. The oldest was about 23. Last year, Keita won the blue ribbon at the San Diego Youth Symphony's Concerto Competition, and in 1999 another First Place at the EI Camino Youth Symphony's Concerto Competition.
Like his older brother, 14-year-old high school freshman Hayato has an affinity for high notes of his own. Hayato's 2005 First Place finish at the Young Musicians Foundation's 50th Annual National Debut Competition resulted in an invitation to play with the foundation's symphony orchestra in Los Angeles, California, in October of this year and again in January of 2006. Hayato tied for Second Place at the California International Young Artist Competition last April. He won a Third Place Award in the San Diego Youth Symphony's 2004 Concerto Competition, and he was declared a national semi-finalist at the American String Teachers Association's 2003 Competition in Sacramento, California. During the latter competition, Hayato performed Concerto No.1 by Niccolo Paganini and Concerto No.1 by Max Bruch. Both were recorded on CD and are available through recorded music sources.
Currently, Keita is concertmaster and first chair of the chamber and symphony orchestras at Rancho Bernardo High School, and Hayato is a new and welcome addition to the school's music department. Each of them is pursuing his dream, and in so doing each of them is setting an example for all of us. My sincere congratulations go to Keita and Hayato, and I wish you both continued success throughout your academic and musical careers.