In the midst of a semester filled with violin practice, study and competitions, Angela SooYeon Yoon '16 is devoting untold hours to another cause that’s close to her heart. The first-year master’s student is producing a full-scale concert featuring a chamber orchestra of Conservatory students, a guest soloist and works by Brahms, Mozart and Sibelius, all for the benefit of U.S. military veterans. Simply titled “Gratitude,” the concert takes place Sunday, April 26 at 5 p.m. at the Academy of Art University Morgan Auditorium in San Francisco. Proceeds will support NCIRE-The Veterans Health Research Institute which focuses on the effects of traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress and related issues facing combat veterans.

A Korean citizen, Yoon has lived in Canada and the U.S. since her early teens, independent of immediate family, and says she’s always depended on people charged with maintaining public safety. As a student at McGill University, she remembers becoming entangled in a protest over tuition hikes that turned violent. “It was this lady soldier who actually protected me physically from someone throwing bricks.” More than a year ago, Yoon began dating a soldier who was then sent to serve in Afghanistan. The realities of U.S. military life quickly hit home. “I really found out how much they have to give up in terms of spending family time… and actually giving up their lives.” Yoon says her boyfriend, Douglas, has “been to far too many funerals. He’s not even 30. That’s what they go through all the time.”

Yoon had long harbored the idea of expressing gratitude through a musical concert. Her relationship cemented the idea. But producing the concert turned out to be an education in itself. Yoon set out to find a donated hall, a fiscal sponsor and even an organization willing to accept the funds. Hoping to compensate her fellow musicians, she also launched an Indiegogo fundraising campaign. Her biggest lesson: “Plan in advance! Instead of being so impulsive, plan in advance… Procrastinating is not good!”

SFCM’s Professional Development and Engagement Center helped Yoon with organizational and fundraising details. Her teacher Bettina Mussumeli and SFCM Orchestra music director Scott Sandmeier also provided valuable support and advice, from concert seatings to repertoire. As the centerpiece of the program, Yoon invited First Lieutenant John Allred, a horn player, to appear as guest soloist for Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 3. Other works include a Brahms horn trio and an Impromptu for Strings by Sibelius.

Yoon has been surprised by how many friends and musicians stepped forward to help after hearing her idea for “Gratitude.” She’s was also surprised to face skepticism from some who wondered why an international student would arrange a benefit concert for U.S. soldiers. Undaunted by any challenge, Yoon explains, “I don’t have to be American to be protected and live here. They’re doing whatever they’re doing to protect me right now over here when I’m on this soil, on this land. Do I need more reason?”

For more information about “Gratitude, A Benefit Concert for Veterans” visit concertgratitude.eventbrite.com or the event’s Facebook page.