UCA伊州分会组织志愿者服务老人观赏音乐会
Kaidi，Allan 北美新视界2017-08-08
【UCA伊利诺伊州分会消息】7月29日，伊利诺伊州纳帕维尔温茨音乐厅（Wentz Hall） 响起了莫扎特、舒曼的优美名曲，“OPUS Fantastic 15 Gala”室内音乐会在这里举行。45名来自Downer Grove养老院和家住纳帕维尔的老人们是这次音乐会的特邀嘉宾，在UCA伊州分会组织的志愿者学生的帮助下，他们来到音乐厅，在动听的乐曲中度过了难忘周末。
这场音乐会由“家长联合支持音乐协会”OPUS（Orchestra Parents/Patrons’ United Support）组织，由美国华人联合会UCA（United Chinese Americans）赞助支持。
音乐会包括室内和交响乐的演奏，并有OPUS创建人、华裔旅美林美珍博士（Linda Lin Yu）的声乐表演，以纪念室内乐团第15届夏令营的优异成绩。
OPUS由林美珍博士在2000年发起创办，通过室内乐和弦乐团，培养对音乐有兴趣及天分的青少年学生，为年轻人创造提高音乐修养和表演艺术的平台，促进友谊和社会发展。在过去17年里，林美珍博士为青少年音乐发展捐赠了近50万美金，她的贡献无与伦比。
音乐会以三重奏和小乐队演奏的一组莫扎特和舒曼经典名曲揭开序幕，最后以全体乐队伴奏由林美珍博士演唱的普契尼歌剧曲目落下帷幕。期间，还特邀几名音乐家做了精彩表演。
白发苍苍的老人们幸福地沉浸在美丽的旋律和林美珍博士动听的歌声中，他们当中，有不少是第一次观看室内音乐和交响乐表演。
“这是我第一次来听交响乐团的演出！” Priscilla Kreger兴奋地说，“音乐是那么令人享受、愉悦，这个乐团音乐家的非凡造诣给我留下很深印象。”
音乐会组织过程中，养老院的老人们很欣慰地得到来UCA伊州分会志愿者的细心照顾。来自Peace Memorial Manor 的 Charlene Pivoney 回忆道：“音乐会真是太棒了！志愿者的奉献及细心关照更是令人印象深刻！我喜欢音乐，也喜欢用不同语言表现的音乐。”
“因为我们不会开车，没有音乐会组织者给我们提供方便的汽车，我们哪里都去不了。”一些华裔老人也感动自己能在志愿者帮助下，在美国观赏生平第一场音乐会。
音乐会前，UCA伊州分会组织学生志愿者（下图），从学校借来校车和一辆残障面包车，来自9所高中的多名志愿学生帮助老人们乘车观看音乐会，全程照顾陪伴老人们。一路上，志愿者们在与老人们畅快交谈，他们很高兴老人们对音乐会兴趣盎然，似乎变得年轻了。
一位老人在志愿学生协助下，登上了残障面包车，她感激地说：“多么美妙的活动！每个人都这么友善亲切，我很想今后再见到你们！”
组织此次志愿者服务的UCA伊州分会会长陈健（Lily Chen）说，UCA的使命和愿景，就是倡导在美华人的公民参与、文化认同与分享，以及致力于华人青少年的社会发展，“我们经常与其他社团合作，共同组织公益服务，这此活动就是其中之一。我们非常希望能在活动中激励和锻炼青少年们，通过志愿服务回馈社会、增强社会责任感。”
(编译：晓晓，薛峰）
【英文原文】
Serve and Inspire
Kaidi Hu and Allan Li
On July 29, 2017, over 45 senior residents from three Downers Grove buildings and Naperville families attended the OPUS Fantastic 15 Gala chamber music concert in Wentz Concert Hall downtown Naperville. This event was organized by OPUS (Orchestra Parents/Patrons’ United Support) and sponsored by the UCA (United Chinese Americans)
The OPUS Fantastic 15 Gala concert celebrated its15th Summer chamber music camp excellence by providing chamber and orchestral performances as well as a vocal piece by Dr. Linda Lin Yu, the founder of the OPUS organization. Linda championed for youth musical development past 17 years donating over half million dollars to the OPUS summer chamber music camp.
The concert opened with various compositions by Mozart, Brahms, and Schumann, and was performed by chamber trios and small ensembles. The performance ended with orchestral works played by the full orchestra and a Puccini opera in which Yu sang vocals. Specially invited musicians also performed onstage during the course of the performance.
Attending chamber and orchestral performance was a first for many senior citizens. “This is the first time I’ve ever been to an orchestra concert,” Priscilla Kreger says. “The music was enjoyable, uplifting, and I was thoroughly impressed with the skill that this talented group of musicians had. I was so dumbfounded by it, it really is such nice and beautiful classical music!”
Other residents enjoyed the overall experience of exceptional care by the UCA IL volunteers. Charlene Pivoney, also of Peace Memorial Manor, reflects: “Great concert, the volunteering, and care that volunteer provided for me was just phenomenal. I love music, I love any kind of music, even music in different languages.” Many Chinese American seniors were grateful for their first concert experience: “Without transportation, it is impossible for us to go anywhere since we do not drive “.
The 9 high school volunteers had assisted many of the seniors riding on one school bus and one handicapped accessible van to travel to the concert hall. Additionally, the volunteers had conversed with the seniors, making them feel welcome and excited to listen to the classical music. After one of the seniors from Peace Manor was helped by the volunteers to the handicap accessible van, she said: “Beautiful event, everyone is so nice, I hope I will see you again”.
Many of them reported that classical music soothed them and made them feel joyous. They were helped back onto buses by UCA volunteers, who provided safe and reliable service and care.
UCA ‘s mission is to empower Chinese American community for civic engagement, heritage sharing, and youth development. It hopes to continue to encourage youth volunteerism, and inspire future generations of Chinese-Americans to give back to our community through volunteerism.