Sandbox Percussion Brings "Canto Ostinato" to Emerald City Music

Sandbox Percussion, the exciting New York-based group at the forefront of contemporary music for percussion, performed Canto Ostinato at Seattle’s Emerald City Music. Written by Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt (1923-2012), Canto Ostinato is a classic of Minimalism that emerged alongside much better-known masterpieces in a similar style, particularly Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians. The April 10 performance was part of Sandbox’s residency this season with Emerald City Music, under the artistic direction of Kristin Lee.

The project is a collaboration between multi-instrumentalist and arranger Erik Hall and Sandbox Percussion, with an expanded ensemble of winds, strings, and additional percussion assembled through the new-music collective Metropolis Ensemble. The 16 musicians included faculty and students from the University of Washington School of Music, with Hall at the piano, and winds, strings and an expanded percussion group anchored by the four Sandbox members.

Critic Tom May reports:

This fuller chamber setting gave the internal workings of ten Holt’s design a new, more textured dimension. Small dissonances — sometimes absorbed in the keyboard original — emerged with sharper profile, introducing moments of piquant friction, while carefully calibrated swells and ebbs gave the larger ensemble passages an oceanic breadth, like the breathing of a single organism.

Read the full piece here.

(Photos by Carliln Ma)

SFCV: Anne Akiko Meyers and LACO’s Tribute to L.A.

The idea of fire fueled a rich, moving, and healing program of new and old music that the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra presented at Colburn Conservatory’s Zipper Hall on April 11, featuring violinist Anne Akiko Meyers and music director Jaime Martin.

Meyers performed Eric Whitacre’s The Pacific Has No Memory, for violin and strings, with which the composer and the soloist commemorate the Pacific Palisades and Altadena fires of January 2025. A Southern California native, Meyers spoke eloquently from the stage of her chaotic post-fire life of moving between hotels “with a family and a crazy dog and my violin.” Her polished, refined, and intonationally pure playing was the highlight of the evening, reports Harlow Robinson for San Francisco Classical Voice.

Inspired by an image of the Pacific as a source of endless renewal from his favorite film, The Shawshank Redemption, Whitacre’s work gives the violin a keening melody that rises and falls like the waves. Gramophone praised the “glowing steadiness” of Meyers’s performance on a recording of the piece she made recently with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, which gave the world premiere at Carnegie Hall last spring. The piece appears destined to become a lasting memorial to L.A.’s recovery.

Ralph Vaughan Williams’ soothing and soaring The Lark Ascending came between the two new works in the first half. Here, Meyers’s bowing technique — which she made look so easy — produced a flowing, liquid tone, a seamless stream of sound that along with her pitch-perfect fingering held the audience spellbound.

Read the full review here.

The Strad: Rachel Barton Pine bridges classic repertoire and contemporary realities

On April 11, the acclaimed concert violinist Rachel Barton Pine, celebrated for her dazzling technique and lustrous tone, appeared at the Los Alamos Concert Association in New Mexico, with pianist Matthew Hagle. The recital consisted of selections from Pine’s Blue Dialogues: Music by Black Composers album. It was a “high spirited and high minded” program, writes Richard Linnett for The Strad, “intentionally and cautiously hopeful in the teeth of turbulent times.”

The artist was fragile yet strong, angelic and earthy, a teacher, mother and a very bright light; she entertained her audience while teaching lessons of kindness, acceptance and healing through great music.

Read the full piece here.

Bachtrack: Yulianna Avdeeva Performs with the Pittsburgh Symphony

Star pianist Yulianna Avdeeva, gold medalist of the 2010 International Chopin Piano Competition, performed Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Pittsburgh Symphony on April 10-12. “The electric chemistry between conductor, orchestra and soloist ensured this wasn’t merely an exercise in bombast, but a night of compelling music-making,” writes Sam Jacobson for Bachtrack.

Among the great piano concertos, Prokofiev’s Second stands out as a particularly taxing and unrelenting affair. This weekend the daunting challenge fell to Yulianna Avdeeva. A gentle, unassuming opening belied its scope, with the piano grave and searching at first, gingerly exploring the keyboard ahead of the fury. Matters quickly grew in intensity, with Avdeeva drawing a wide color palette and deep resonance from the Steinway. The jagged edges of the massive cadenza resounded with enormous power and percussiveness.

In about the only moment of subtlety of the evening, the pianist encored with a limpid, elegant account of Schubert’s charming Moment musical no. 3 in F minor.

Read the full review here.

Yulianna Avdeeva (credit: Kevin Kinzley)

Taiwan Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble Announces “From Formosa” U.S. Tour

©Luo Wun Jie

Celebrating Taiwanese American Heritage Month with World Premieres and Cross-Cultural Collaborations

NEW YORK, NY — April 14, 2026 — The chamber ensemble from Taiwan Philharmonic embarks on its 2026 U.S. tour, “From Formosa,” with performances in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and New York, May 15–19. “From Formosa” celebrates Taiwanese American Heritage Month through a richly curated program of world premieres, Taiwanese masterworks, and cross-cultural collaborations.

An elite group of musicians led by Taiwan Philharmonic Concertmaster Hao-Tun Teng, the chamber ensemble will present performances that feature acclaimed pianist Chun-Chieh Yen and the soulful voices of Taiwan’s Taiwu Ballads Troupe. The tour highlights a distinctive artistic vision that bridges Western chamber music traditions with the cultural heritage of Taiwan and its Indigenous communities. The performances take place at Thayer Hall, at Colburn School in Los Angeles; Camelback Bible Church in Phoenix; and Merkin Hall, at Kaufman Music Center in New York City.

A defining feature of “From Formosa” is the collaboration with Taiwu Ballads Troupe — one of Taiwan’s leading indigenous vocal ensembles, dedicated to preserving and performing music from the Paiwan, an indigenous people of Taiwan. In addition, the Phoenix concert features Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai, creating a powerful artistic dialogue between Taiwanese and Native American traditions.

“The Taiwan Philharmonic has long been committed to building meaningful cultural bridges through music,” said Dr. Lydia Wen-Chen Kuo, Executive Director of the Taiwan Philharmonic. “Following our previous international tours, ‘From Formosa’ gives us the timely opportunity to share Taiwan’s artistic voice in the United States during Taiwanese American Heritage Month. These collaborations with indigenous artists from both countries reflect shared histories, traditions, and a deeply personal connection that transcends borders.”

Program Highlights

“From Formosa” weaves together traditional and contemporary voices in a program that reflects Taiwan’s cultural diversity and artistic innovation. Highlights include:

• Taiwanese indigenous polyphonic songs

• Taiwanese Indigenous Music for String Quartet & Chorus (arr. by Ting-Chuan Chen)

• Ke-Chia Chen: Silver Fields for Piano Quintet (world premiere, commissioned by Muzik 3 Foundation)

• Tyzen Hsiao: The Highlander’s Suite for Piano Quintet

• Yun-Jou Chen: Terra/ Liturgy for String Quartet (world premiere, commissioned by Hakka Affairs Council)

• Aaron Copland: Two Pieces for String Quartet

• James DeMars: Lake That Speaks for Native American Flute and Cello 

• Amazing Grace for Native American and Chamber Ensemble (arr. by Billy Williams) 

Together, these works explore themes of identity, heritage, and cultural continuity, placing Taiwanese and indigenous traditions in dialogue with the Western classical canon.

Artists

The Taiwan Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble:

• Hao-Tun Teng, violin

• Yi-Ju Chen, violin

• Jubel Chen, viola

• Yi-Shien Lien, cello

• Chun-Chieh Yen, piano

With special guest artists:

• Taiwu Ballads Troupe

• R. Carlos Nakai, Native American flute (Phoenix performance, May 17)

Los Angeles, CA
May 15, 2026 at 7 PM
Colburn School, Thayer Hall
Presented by Colburn School
Tickets: https://colburnschool.edu/calendar/events/from-formosa-taiwan-philharmonic-chamber-ensemble-2026-us-tour/

Phoenix, AZ
May 17, 2026 at 3 PM
Doors Open at 2 PM (Taiwanese Pop-up Fair starts in the church lobby)
Camelback Bible Church
Tickets*: http://taiwanphoenix.org
*Each ticket can be redeemed for $10 worth of souvenirs at the Taiwanese Pop-up Fair.

New York, NY
May 19, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center
Tickets: https://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/from-formosa-taiwan-philharmonic-chamber-ensemble-2026-us-tour/

©Luo Wun Jie

About the Taiwan Philharmonic
Founded in 1986, the Taiwan Philharmonic, also known as the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at home, has been hailed as one of the best orchestras in Asia. With some of the finest musical talent from at home and abroad, trained at top schools and international orchestras, the NSO enjoys a unique voice rich in diversity and tradition. The NSO's artistic development has been carefully nurtured over the years by music directors Tsang-Houei Hsu, Tah-Sheng Chang, Jahja Ling, Wen-Pin Chien, and Shao-Chia Lü — as well as principal conductors Gerard Akoka and Urs Schneider, and conductor laureate Günther Herbig. Under the leadership of Jun Märkl as the music director since January 2022, the NSO aspires to resonate throughout the world as the cultural ambassador of Taiwan. Music by Taiwanese composers is extensively commissioned, performed, and recorded by the NSO.

As the orchestra affiliated with the National Performing Arts Center, the NSO presents a 40-week season of approximately 80 events — concerts, chamber recitals, operas, and crossover productions. Performing not only for audiences throughout Taiwan, the NSO also tours regularly overseas, having performed in such musical centers as Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Milan, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York City and many other cities.

About Taiwu Ballads Troupe
Taiwu Ballads Troupe (TBT) was founded by Camake Valaule at Taiwu Elementary School in Pingtung, Taiwan. Beginning in 2004, Camake worked closely with tribal elders to document traditional Paiwan melodies and vocal polyphony. These songs were then carefully taught to TBT’s members. The original members then continued the cycle of transmission by teaching the songs to a new generation. Today, TBT has become one of the most representative groups dedicated to preserving and performing Paiwan music.

Since its founding, TBT has appeared at major international festivals and venues across Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. In 2019, they were invited to perform on the main stage at WOMADelaide (Australia) and WOMAD New Zealand, becoming the first Taiwanese group invited to perform on the festival’s main stage.

Acknowledgements

LA Performance
Supervised by: Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan; Hakka Affairs Council, Taiwan; Ministry of Culture, Taiwan; Taiwan Academy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles 
Appointed Airline: STARLUX Airlines
Event sponsored by: I-MEI Culture and Education Foundation
Event Partner: National Cultural Association of Taiwan
Special Thanks: UUIN; JIU ZHEN NAN

Phoenix Performance
Supervised by: Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan; Hakka Affairs Council, Taiwan Sponsored by: TSMC Education & Culture Foundation
Appointed Airline: STARLUX Airlines
Event sponsored by: I-MEI Culture and Education Foundation
Event Partner: National Cultural Association of Taiwan
Special thanks: UUIN; JIU ZHEN NAN

New York Performance
Supervised by: Council of Indigenous Peoples, Taiwan; Hakka Affairs Council, Taiwan; Ministry of Culture, Taiwan; Taipei Cultural Center in New York
Sponsored by: CTBC Bank
Appointed Airline: STARLUX Airlines
Event sponsored by: I-MEI Culture and Education Foundation
Event Partner: National Cultural Association of Taiwan
Special Thanks: UUIN; JIU ZHEN NAN
Designated Hotel: Friendwell Group

Media Contact
Matt Herman
8VA Music Consultancy
matt@8vamusicconsultancy.com

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Seattle Chamber Music Society Launches SCMS Records

Seattle Chamber Music Society Launches SCMS Records, a
New Record Label Showcasing Celebrated Artists and Performances

Photo by Jenna Poppe

Download photos here

Seattle, WA — April 7, 2026 — Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS), a cornerstone of the American chamber music landscape, today announced the launch of SCMS Records, a new in-house record label dedicated to sharing the Society’s acclaimed performances with audiences around the world. The news was announced today by James Ehnes, the Gilbert Omenn and Martha Darling Artistic Director of SCMS, and John Holloway, the Dr. Oliver E. Cobb Chief Executive Officer of SCMS.

SCMS Records will debut in 2026 with three releases, marking the beginning of an ongoing recording initiative with a planned cadence of three to four releases annually. The inaugural releases include recordings of works by Brahms and Dvořák in June, followed by a September release featuring Franck and Enescu. Artists joining Ehnes on the first three recordings are Andrew Armstrong, Edward Arron, Ani Aznavoorian, Inon Barnatan, Che-Yen Chen, Timothy Cobb, Jun Iwasaki, Tessa Lark, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Paul Neubauer, Grace Park, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Bion Tsang, and Jonathan Vinocour. 

“Seattle Chamber Music Society has always been about bringing artists and audiences into close connection through extraordinary performances,” said Ehnes. “With SCMS Records, we have the opportunity to extend that experience far beyond the concert hall—capturing the energy, intimacy, and artistry of these performances and sharing them with listeners everywhere.”Recordings will be available across multiple formats, including CD, vinyl, and digital streaming and download platforms. Global physical and digital distribution will be handled by Naxos Music Group, the world’s largest distributor of independent classical music, with additional direct-to-consumer sales available through the SCMS website.

The label will draw from SCMS’s deep archive of live performances captured by sound engineer Simon Kiln, featuring internationally renowned artists in the uniquely collaborative environment that defines the organization’s festivals and concert series. 

“SCMS is in a golden age, shaped by the extraordinary artistry and leadership of James Ehnes, producing performances that may stand as the most compelling interpretations of these works in our lifetime. We believe those moments deserve permanence. With the launch of our label, alongside the Virtual Concert Hall, we are capturing and sharing them with audiences worldwide,” saidHolloway. 

Details about the first three releases follow.

Coming in June:

Brahms Violin Sonatas

Brahms: Violin Sonata No.1 in G major Op.78

Brahms: Violin Sonata No.2 in A major Op.100

Brahms: Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor Op.108

Brahms: Scherzo in C minor WoO 2

James Ehnes, Andrew Armstrong

Recorded at Koerner Hall, Toronto 28-31 July 2024

Dvořák: String Quintets

Dvořák: String Quintet in G major Op.77

Dvořák: Intermezzo

James Ehnes, Tessa Lark, Jonathan Vinocour, Ani Aznavoorian, Timothy Cobb

Recorded at Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle, 11-12 July 2022

Dvořák: String Quintet in Eb major Op.97

James Ehnes, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Paul Neubauer, Che-Yen Chen, Edward Arron

Recorded at Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle, 6-7 July 2022

Coming in September:

César Franck: Piano Quintet in F minor

Inon Barnatan, James Ehnes, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Che-Yen Chen, Edward Arron

Recorded at Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle 8-9 July 2025

George Enescu: Octet for Strings in C major Op.7

James Ehnes, Amy Schwartz Moretti, Grace Park, Jun Iwasaki, Che-Yen Chen, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, Edward Arron, Bion Tsang

Recorded at Nordstrom Recital Hall, Seattle 31 Jan-1 Feb 2025

SCMS Records represents a significant step in the organization’s continued evolution—expanding beyond live performance to become a year-round, globally accessible source for exceptional chamber music. In addition to the new label, SCMS Virtual Concert Hall, a concert streaming platform, presents world-class concerts and events to music lovers from around the globe. The traveling music venue, The Concert Truck, fueled by SCMS, presents concerts across the country and redefines how people experience live music.

For more information and release updates, visit seattlechambermusic.org.

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Contact:

Matt Herman

Managing Director

8VA Music Consultancy

matt@8vamusicconsultancy.com

Bravo! Vail Music Festival Names Composer Chris Rogerson as New Artistic Director

Bravo! Vail Music Festival Names 

Composer Chris Rogerson as New Artistic Director

Photo by Sophie Zhai

Vail, CO (April 2, 2026)– The Bravo! Vail Music Festival (Bravo! Vail), a top U.S. classical music festival and the only festival in North America to host four orchestras each summer, announces composer Chris Rogerson as its next Artistic Director.

Selected from an applicant pool of internationally renowned musicians and arts leaders, Rogerson assumes the Artistic Director Designate role immediately and the Artistic Director title on September 1, 2026, for an initial three-year term. 

“We are thrilled that Chris will lead Bravo! Vail in its next era – his commitment to artistic excellence, sophisticated and innovative programming, and approach to community engagement all align perfectly with Bravo! Vail’s mission and goals for the future. It will be an exciting new chapter for Bravo! Vail,” said Caitlin Murray, Bravo! Vail’s President and CEO.  

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we welcome Chris and look to the future with excitement and inspiration. We are honored to embark on the exciting journey ahead with Chris Rogerson as our next Artistic Director for our beloved festival," said Hank Gutman, Board Chair of Bravo! Vail. "This collaboration promises to elevate our mission and enrich the cultural tapestry of Vail for years to come."Rogerson becomes the fourth Artistic Director in the Festival’s history, succeeding Anne-Marie McDermott after her 16-year tenure.His appointment underscores the Festival's continued commitment to new works and education, alongside core orchestral and chamber music programming. “Bravo! Vail represents the highest level of music-making in an incomparable natural setting. From its founding in 1987, it has served as a beacon of artistic integrity and a place of limitless artistic possibility,” stated Chris Rogerson, incoming Bravo! Vail Artistic Director Designate. “I have the deepest admiration for the artistic directors who have shaped this festival and am honored to carry forward that legacy. I have been fortunate to have contributed to the festival as a composer and have seen firsthand how magical it is: a place where excellence and collaborative joy are inseparable, and where decisions serve the music and the artists who bring it to life. The opportunity to lead the festival into its next chapter alongside the incredible team is profoundly meaningful and tremendously exciting.” Rogerson is an accomplished American-born composer. His music has been performed by artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, J’Nai Bridges, and Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, as well as leading orchestras and ensembles across the country. For the past decade, he has served as a member of the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music. In 2023, Rogerson received the prestigious Elise L. Stoeger Prize from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Rogerson’s relationship with Bravo! Vail spans multiple commissions, including Samaa’ for piano, gongs, and strings, premiered in 2022 by Anne-Marie McDermott and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Commissioned in honor of McDermott’s 10th anniversary as Artistic Director, the work was the first premiered as part of Bravo! Vail’s Symphonic Commissioning Project, an ongoing initiative supporting the creation and premiere of new orchestral works.

Prior to his appointment with Bravo! Vail, Rogerson served as Composer-in-Residence of Young Concert Artists and as Composer-in-Residence and Artistic Advisor for both the Allentown Symphony Orchestra and the Amarillo Symphony. He has also received awards and fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Chamber Music America, the Theodore Presser Foundation, the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and Copland House.

In addition to being a member of the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he also studied, he is an alumnus of the Yale School of Music and Princeton University. His advisors have included Jennifer Higdon, Aaron Jay Kernis, Martin Bresnick, and Steve Mackey.

Bravo! Vail will announce its 40th anniversary season—Rogerson’s first as Artistic Director—in December of 2026.

Chris Rogerson is available for press interviews. Photos are available here. 

—

About Chris Rogerson

Chris Rogerson is a composer praised as a “confident new musical voice” (The New York Times), with music noted for its lyricism, “haunting beauty,” and “virtuosic exuberance.” His works have been performed at leading venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, and Wigmore Hall.

Recent highlights include Of Simple Grace for Yo-Yo Ma, a violin concerto for Benjamin Beilman and the Kansas City Symphony, and Dream Sequence for Anne-Marie McDermott and the Dover Quartet. He has received commissions from major orchestras nationwide and was awarded the 2022 Elise L. Stoeger Prize from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Rogerson is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Yale School of Music, and Princeton University, and serves on the faculty of Curtis. For more information about Chris Rogerson, please visit: https://www.chrisrogerson.com/

About Bravo! Vail Music Festival

Consistently cited as one of the top 10 classical music festivals in the country, the Bravo! Vail Music Festival brings world-renowned musicians to picturesque venues throughout the Vail and Eagle River Valley region for six weeks, drawing music lovers from around the world. The only festival in North America to host four of the world’s finest orchestras in a single season, Bravo! Vail celebrates its 39th season from June 25-August 6, 2026, with approximately 60 concerts—almost half of which are presented for free. Beyond its summer programming, Bravo! Vail serves the community by providing year-round low-cost music education through Music Makers Haciendo Música, a piano, violin, guitar, cello, and ensemble instruction program to help develop new generations of musicians and music lovers. "[Bravo! Vail] is the most high-profile — and high altitude — mountain music festival in America." - The Times (UK)

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Press Contacts:

Christy Pierce

8VA Music Consultancy

christy@8vamusicconsultancy.com

800.530.3318

Parker Owens

Bravo! Vail Music Festival

powens@bravovail.org

970.989.3716

"She Was First:" Marin Alsop featured on PBS

As the first American woman to lead a major orchestra in the United States, South America, Austria, and Great Britain, Marin Alsop is paving the way for other women to realize their leadership potential. Alsop joins host Soledad O'Brien on She Was First, as she conducts the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and teaches conducting to the next generation of trailblazers at Johns Hopkins’ Peabody Institute.

She Was First is a docuseries that profiles pioneering women who have revolutionized the arts throughout history through an intimate look at their creative processes and fearless defiance of societal expectations.

“I'm hoping that as people see more and more women, and people of color, on the podiums, they'll start to have a broader sense of what a conductor can be,” Alsop says.

Watch the 26-minute documentary here, which traces the meteoric rise of the inspirational conductor, along with the challenges and hardships she faced, and continues to overcome, shattering many glass ceilings. #PurpleBaton

Third Coast Review: Benjamin Beilman Amazes at Sun Valley Music Festival

With a fascinating program celebrating the change of seasons and the Americana of Sun Valley, Idaho, violinist Benjamin Beilman, festival Music Director Alasdair Neale, and festival musicians entertained large audiences at the Sun Valley Music Festival Winter Season. Three free concerts took place March 19-21. Louis Harris, who saw two performances, comments:

The first half of the program was intended to focus on the American experience rooted in Sun Valley, including nature, great vistas, fun road trips, and general Americana. It started with a work for solo violin that Beilman commissioned in 2022: Sanguineum by Gabriella Smith, who was a student with Beilman at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Beilman explained how Smith is an environmental preservationist who, in a restoration project, planted sanguineum on an abandoned navy air base in California’s bay area, where she’s from. Native to the western US, this red currant flower is a deciduous shrub that is beautiful in the spring. (…)

I always have some trepidation when hearing a personal favorite [Copland’s Appalachian Spring, in the original version for 13 players]. Will this performance be any good? The answer became clear in the opening measures when the musicians produced a sound that had more lushness than any other performance I’ve ever heard. I love the way Copland has the various instruments playing off one another, and, under Neale’s direction, these musicians interacted with such precision, it was like they had been playing together for decades.

Read the full piece on Third Coast Review.

This year’s main festival is scheduled from Monday, July 27, through Thursday, August 20. For more information, visit svmusicfestival.org.

Alasdair Neale and Benjamin Beilman

"Midsummer Marriage": Conductor Dane Lam and Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra on CVNA

James Bash, from Classical Voice North America, visited Honolulu to review the Hawai'i Symphony Orchestra's March 8 performance of Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, conducted by Dane Lam. The collaboration between the HSO and the Manoa Valley Theatre was the first concert in the HSO’s Sounds of Shakespeare Festival, a three-concert series celebrating music inspired by the Bard’s plays.

Urged on by Lam’s energetic gestures and clear baton, the orchestra elicited the magical qualities of Mendelssohn’s music. The inspired ensemble evoked a feathery fairy world, the passions of young lovers (Ari Agodong, Emily Steward, Adam Kalma, and Alex Munro), the nobility of Oberon (Kevin Keaveney), the pride of Tatiana (Jasmine Haley Anderson), and the hee-hawing of Bottom (Andrew Baker).

From beginning to end, Lam and his forces were alert to all of the action and made sure that there were no glitches and the pacing never flagged. The resulting standing ovation was well deserved.

By collaborating with the Manoa Valley Theatre, the production put a spotlight on the arts community in Hawaii and broadened the HSO audience to include theatergoers.

Read the full piece on CVNA.