“Whether Jukebox is attracting new audiences for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra is yet to be decided. But that it introduces fine performances of new and unexpected music in a delicious package was a sure thing Friday at Merchants Hall in Rutland,” writes Jim Lowe in Sunday’s (1/19) Rutland Herald (Vermont). “A capacity crowd—including a bunch of teens—seemed enthralled with the spicy potpourri performed by the Arka Quartet [all longtime VSO members] and guest soloist, soprano Mary Bonhag. The 90-minute program opened traditionally enough with some exquisite Mozart…. From then on, it was off to the unknown—six short works [including] Jessie Montgomery’s setting of ‘I Want to Go Home,’ which accentuated the spiritual with a rich string accompaniment…. Jukebox, now in its fourth season [is] emceed … by Burlington composer Matt LaRocca who … creates the programs.… Perhaps the most intriguing—and fun—piece on the program was ‘Sequenza III’ for solo voice by 20th century Italian composer Luciano Berio [in which] Bonham created a broad palette of sounds and words with her voice … The [Arka Quartet] delivered ‘Daughters of Sol’ … by Iranian composer Aftab Darvishi … perhaps the most hauntingly beautiful music on the program.”
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