In Thursday’s (7/24) New York Times, Anthony Tommasini reviews Tuesday’s concert by the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America. “From the start, the creation of this ensemble was a Carnegie Hall venture, supported by the Weill Music Institute. The program, which began last summer, recruits outstanding high school players from across America, brings them together for several weeks of training and rehearsal and then takes a concert program on tour. Last summer, Carnegie Hall was undergoing renovations. So the orchestra made its debut at Purchase College, under the conductor Valery Gergiev, and went on a tour.… This year the ensemble has 120 players, 24 of them returning from last summer.… After performing on Sunday in Purchase, the orchestra finally made its debut at its home hall.” In Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, “Mr. Robertson and his gifted players made this popular suite seem musically substantial.” A “superb performance” of Britten’s 1939 Violin Concerto featuring Gil Shaham was preceded by remarks from NYO-USA horn player Leah Meyer. Radial Play, composed for NYO-USA’s 2014 tour by 28-year-old Samuel Adams, “is a pulsing, engrossing piece” that was “aptly described as kaleidoscopic” by NYO-USA cellist Audrey Chen. Concluding the concert were the Mussorgsky-Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition and two encores.
Posted July 24, 2014
Pictured: National Youth Orchestra of the USA at Carnegie Hall with conductor David Robertson. Photo by Christopher Gregory for the New York Times
