On Thursday, Jon Nakamatsu’s finely judged reading of Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra was not only drop-dead elegant, but also full of the composer’s signature energy.
Rochester Classical Music
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Classical review: RPO with Vadym Kholodenko and Gemma New
It’s interesting to see which guest conductors and soloists Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra audiences
will take to, and wonder why they make that connection. This week the RPO invited a young conductor and a young pianist, and the crowd went wild, as they say.
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Classical review: RPO’s 2018-19 season opener
Music Director Ward Stare kick-started the 2018-19 Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra season last night, with music by three very familiar composers. But when the program includes a powerhouse soloist, and the musicians acquit themselves so well, that familiarity is very satisfying.
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Classical review: RPO performs Brahms and a Higdon world premiere
In a polished, powerful showing, the RPO debuted a new work by Jennifer Higdon
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Publick Musick explores Mozart’s string quintets
What a difference an instrument can make, if you’re Mozart. He wrote chamber music of all kinds, from violin sonatas to wind serenades, but it’s often conceded that Mozart was at his best when simply adding a second viola (his favorite string instrument) to the customary string quartet: pride of place in his chamber-music output […]
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Classical review: RPO performs ‘Tchaikovsky 5’
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra lately seemed to be reverting back to the conservatism that had dominated its programming before Music Director Ward Stare’s arrival. Yesterday at Kodak Hall, however, Stare and the RPO presented its boldest concert in recent memory. The evening began with Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 22. Stare took a brisk, stately […]
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Whether its rock ‘n’ roll or classical music, Rochester has a concert for everyone
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Classical review: Pegasus’s ‘Bach & Bach’
In the Baroque period, different countries had different musical traits associated with them. In a quick-and-dirty overview: Italian music was vocally oriented and virtuosic; German music was “learned” (heavy on the counterpoint); and French music was, well, French: generally light textured, highly ornamented, more concerned with the intimate than the transcendental. (This is a very […]
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Classical review: SCMR’s ‘A Couple of Couples’
The Society for Chamber Music in Rochester is always a source of imaginative and engaging programming. Its most recent concert, which took place Sunday afternoon, brought together two musical marriages: violinist Robin Scott of the Ying Quartet and cellist Ahrim Kim (principal cello of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra); and cellist Keiko Ying of Roberts Wesleyan […]
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Classical review: RPO’s ‘Bernstein Celebration’
This week, Ward Stare and the Rochester Philharmonic are celebrating the centennial of that first among 20th century American musicians, Leonard Bernstein. This concert wasn’t just a tip of the baton to a revered musician; it was a salute by a lively, communicative conductor to an infinitely talented composer, conductor, and general muse to American […]
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Classical review: RPO performs ‘The Music of Swan Lake’
In Thursday’s concert of mostly ballet music at Kodak Hall, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra showed flashes of pure brilliance. Unfortunately, the performance as a whole was lackluster. The RPO opened the program with a trio of AntonรญnDvořรกk’s “Slavonic Dances,” and was joined onstage by members of the Rochester City Ballet. Stare conducted with a light […]
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RPO announces its 2018-19 season
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has announced its 2018-19 season, and Music Director Ward Stare continues to hone the RPO’s artistic image under his tenure. The orchestra seems to be gradually and methodically working to elevate its status to one of more national relevance. While Stare’s programming tastes can frequently be conservative, the choices he makes […]
