FAR OUT, FAR EAST— Musicians Annie Cheng, left, Ryan Cheng, Melody Chang, Alec Cheng, teacher Angela Hsu, Derek Yu and Darius Chyou, as well as Eric Jan (not pictured), will present a recital this Saturday, May 8, at the Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library. SHANGWOO CHYOU Special to the Acorn Seven teenage musicians who will travel to Taiwan and China to perform this summer will present a recital at 3 p.m. this Saturday at the Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library. The concert is free and open to the public.

The middle and high school students are winners of a local music competition sponsored annually by the Reverie Youth Symphony Orchestra. They come from Oak Park, Simi Valley, Newbury Park and Westlake Village and are considered advance level musicians, said Angela Hsu, Reverie music teacher and conductor. The students play piano, violin and woodwinds, and several are vocalists.

On June 17 the musicians will depart to spend six weeks visiting Taiwan, Hong Kong and Shanghai, where they will perform several concerts, including a benefit introducing classical music to impoverished children. The students will also participate in a cultural exchange with Chinese students and other young musicians. In Shanghai they’ll attend the 2010 World Expo and will perform with winners of the International Classical Music Competition.

“I’m really excited about the trip but also nervous about performing in front of musicians who are internationally known,” said Darius Chyou, an Oak Park High School sophomore who plays oboe and piano.

Formed in 2002, the nonprofit Reverie orchestra is made up of student musicians who perform in retirement homes and other venues. Through their concerts the group often raises money for various causes. Past beneficiaries have included New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Oak Park High School for its Chinese Cultural Night and the Chinese Cultural Association of Thousand Oaks.

Reverie hosts cultural exchanges for American and Chinese students and offers scholarships through its music competition. Participants in the competition do not have to be Reverie members.

About 50 student musicians participated in Reverie’s competition this year. The winners who will perform on Saturday are Annie Cheng, Ryan Cheng, Melody Chang, Alec Cheng, Derek Yu, Darius Chyou and Eric Jan. The composers whose work they will perform include Bach, Beethoven, Debussy and Mozart. Ryan Cheng will also perform a composition of his own.

For more information, visit http://reverieyso.webs.com.