“The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra just started their 2020-2021 season last Saturday night with a virtual concert, taped before an audience of no one on the Friday morning before at Kleinhans Music Hall,” writes Peter Hall in Friday’s (10/2) Buffalo Rising (NY). “Speaking of tape, the stage was literally marked off with blue tape so that each performer had his or her own ‘zone’ on stage and was provided with a personal, taped-off ‘zone’ backstage as well…. In addition, performers on wind instruments who cannot wear a mask were separated from the others by large Plexiglas structures…. The concert was cleverly constructed, with two familiar and iconic works composed for small orchestras of mostly string players and introducing a new work for strings [Starburst] by a young (39), female, black violinist, Jessie Montgomery, who came up through the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization.” Buffalo Philharmonic Music Director JoAnn Falletta led the concert, which included Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The article quotes several of the orchestra’s musicians, including cellist Robbie Hausmann: “I thoroughly enjoyed being back in Kleinhans performing with our pared-down, socially distanced BPO. Could you see me smiling under my mask?”
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