Leonardo Soto. Photo courtesy of Houston Symphony.
In Saturday’s (3/21) EarRelevant, Lawrence Wheeler writes, “Music Director Juraj Valčuha returned to Jones Hall to conduct the Houston Symphony in a 19th-century forgotten gem, a world premiere timpani concerto, and Beethoven’s ubiquitous Fifth Symphony. Louise Farrenc’s Overture No. 2 (1834) opened the evening…. Valčuha treated the work with seriousness rather than as a mere curtain-raiser…. The centerpiece of the program was the world premiere of Andy Akiho’s Timpani Concerto, written for Houston Symphony principal timpanist Leonardo Soto. Akiho, himself a virtuoso percussionist, exploits the instrument’s full expressive range in a work that is both inventive and immediately engaging. The concerto was the result of extensive collaboration between Akiho and Soto. Five timpani were placed front and center on stage, along with a flat-mounted bass drum and an inverted timpani shell…. This concerto showcased the range of [Soto’s] technical and sonic capabilities, which he delivered with consummate virtuosity. Akiko has given us a brilliant timpani concerto with a contemporary yet accessible vernacular. The audience’s response to performer and piece was overwhelmingly positive…. Throughout [the program], the orchestra played at a high level—technically assured, tonally rich, and responsive.”
