Kevin Ou one of 91Classical’s inaugural Student Composer Fellows, studying instrumental music. Get to know him with these six questions.

Instrumental music fellow Kevin Ou has been playing the piano since third grade, and the Hume Fogg High School freshman picked up the violin in middle-school orchestra. He began writing solo pieces and in seventh grade began composing a piece for his school orchestra titled
Wintertime Fantasia, which premiered during his eighth-grade orchestra’s winter concert.

What is your instrument and what made you choose it?

I play both the piano and violin. Before I began piano lessons, I had a small keyboard at home and slowly grew to love the instrument as I tried playing my favorites tunes on it. I later picked up violin wanting to try something new and knowing that the two instruments would make a good combo.

What do you listen to for fun?

The music I listen to for fun spans a wide variety of genres, but I especially like music from video games because they can create certain atmospheres and convey certain emotions, which is why I love music in the first place.

Who is a composer who has influenced your music?

The composer who has influenced me the most would be Koji Kondo. I have always been inspired by the music that he has composed.

What are your other hobbies outside of music? 

Outside of music I also enjoy drawing and other forms of art.

What do you think you want to do for a career?

I want to be a composer and a performer as a career, but I’ve also considered doing something math or computer science related before.

What is your #1 most favorite piece of classical music and why?

I’ve never really had a #1 favorite, but one of my all-time favorite pieces of classical music has to be Liszt’s Un Sospiro, the third of his Three Concert Études. The rolling arpeggios throughout the piece can make a single piano sound like an entire orchestra, and the highs and lows of the piece can paint a beautiful musical picture in my mind no matter how many times I listen to it.