Conductor David Bernard interacts with audience members in an InsideOut Concert by the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music. Photo courtesy of Park Avenue Chamber Symphony.
In Thursday’s (9/12) Front Row Center (New York City), Edward Kliszus writes, “The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony (PACS) is … led by the passionate and dynamic conductor David Bernard … Bernard [also] leads the Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra, Long Island’s premier orchestra. What sets the PACS apart is its unique and groundbreaking approach to audience engagement through its InsideOut Concerts [in which] audience members sit among the orchestra’s musicians, enveloped by the instruments’ sounds … This groundbreaking concept erases the boundary between audience and performer, creating an intimate and immediate connection to music … [In the 2024-25 season] the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony and the Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra successively perform Mahler’s 1st and 9th symphonies. David Bernard: ‘Mahler’s Symphonies are monumental in scale and emotional depth and can be intimidating and challenging for newcomers and experienced listeners. The onramp to appreciating Mahler is a daunting commitment, yet for those who take the plunge, Mahler’s music is life-changing. I created this Festival as a gateway for audiences of all levels of sophistication to experience the symphonies of Gustav Mahler on a deeper, more holistic level in an approachable way. By presenting the First and Ninth Symphonies together in a festival, we offer a panoramic view of Mahler’s artistic journey and an opportunity to experience the evolution of his musical language and philosophical outlook in a concentrated and approachable format.’ ”
