Lau is a core violinist at Saratoga High as well as in the Peninsula Youth Orchestra, where she was recently named as a co-concertmaster. She is the youngest of the three concertmasters, a position she tried out for last year. Sara Salsbury, the general manager for the Peninsula Youth Orchestra, says Lau stood out at her audition. "She has an exceptional ability and talent that we noticed right away," she says. "We are really excited that she is sharing her talents with us."

Lau has received the Outstanding Musician Award from the San Jose Youth Orchestra, was a Junior Bach Festival laureate, concertmaster of the San Jose Youth Junior Orchestra, and an assistant concertmaster of the San Jose Youth Senior Orchestra. She is currently a featured soloist for the Peninsula Youth Orchestra and the Baroque Sinfonietta, of which she is a member. She is a scholar of distinction at Saratoga High and is involved with the Musicians Youth Alliance. She was also selected to become a member of the Study of Exceptional Talent program at Johns Hopkins University in 2001.

The person behind the impressive stats, however, is an unassuming musician striving to learn, perform and play to her heart's content.

Lau began playing the violin when she was 4 years old, beginning her study under Lesa Longay Zuehlke. Lau's mother decided the violin would be a good fit because her daughter was not interested in sports and was too small for the piano. Lau's interest in the violin has not wavered since, as she says it is "very fun and kind of challenging at the same time. With the piano, you are given the notes. But with the violin, you can add more color and have more fun with your talent."

And talent she has, says Michael Boitz, the orchestra and band director at Saratoga High. When thinking of Lau, Boitz says the first words that come to mind are "genuine, compassionate and kind." He attests that she is a stellar student. But that "is secondary to the fact that I find her to be a stellar person," he says. "She is very enthusiastic and involved at the core of the orchestra program at Saratoga High." Not only is her enthusiasm for the program exceptional but her playing is as well. "She is definitely above what a normal freshman student would be. I can't stress enough that she is an incredible musician and a strong student, just a dynamite kid."

Lau's interest in playing was ignited when she was 9 years old and started studying under Jenny Rudin, who Lau says deserves a lot of credit for her abilities. "She inspired me," Lau says. "Her teaching is so special. Most teachers have one conformed style to teach for each piece. But she develops a personal style for each person and each piece."

Then, in seventh grade, Lau played a solo with the San Jose Youth Symphony. The experience was much more enjoyable than she had anticipated, and she was soon hooked for good.

Although her passion for playing has remained steady over the years, she says her musical taste has definitely changed.

"When you grow older, you learn to appreciate different styles more," she says. When she was younger, Lau favored "romantic and happy melodic pieces." However, once Rudin introduced her to Baroque music, her listening preference changed completely. "You can hear the meaning behind it," she says of Baroque. "You learn to really appreciate it."

Enjoying that music is also a part of understanding it, Lau explains. "I used to just listen to a song for enjoyment, but now I can see the hidden colors and textures, the way the music flows. Baroque is polyphonic, and I have learned to listen to each separate melody and voice in the piece."

She says she "doesn't hate" modern music but would rather have a dose of Bach than Britney any day.

Lau plans to keep playing and competing, perhaps pursuing a medical career after graduation.

Medical career or not, Mitchell Sardou Kline, music director for the PYO, believes Lau has what it takes to make it to the professional stage. "Ashley is at the level of accomplishment at age 14 that is comparable to some of the outstanding players around the world." Kline believes Lau is "a rare talent" who is also "an easygoing, delightful, unpretentious kind of person. She has no star mentality, although she is certainly capable of being an exceptional star. She really has an instinctive feeling for the inner workings of music—all of the passion, excitement, drama, lyricism and expressiveness."

For more information about the Peninsula Youth Orchestra and its upcoming events, visit www.peninsulayouthorchestra.org.