The passion of one Korean classical music lover has led to the birth of the first-ever youth orchestra in Uganda.

Her name is Maria Park. Park established an orchestra for Ugandan teenagers, the Youth Orchestra Africa, in June 2007 and built a music school for high school students. Her goals have always been to boost the self-esteem of her teenagers and to enhance friendship amongst the tribes and social strata of the country.

Park majored in composition and musical theory at Yonsei University, receiving both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She received her master's in fine arts from Rutgers University, in New Jersey, and her doctor of musical arts degree from Claremont Graduate University, in California. In 1994, she moved to Uganda with her two sons and her spouse to begin her new musical career. She built a music school, the Africa Institute of Music, in 2002 and has been actively engaged in musical activities ever since.




As of February 2014, more than 50 students have graduated from the Africa Institute of Music. Thirty students currently study at the music school and there are 35 students in the youth orchestra. Park said she feels very rewarded when she sees alumni of her school show off their musical ability across Uganda, whether as a musician or as a musical instructor.

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
arete@korea.kr