Anthony Aibel | New York Concert Review, Inc.

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY)

Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings

Music by Eric Whitacre

Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

June 15, 2010

Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings

At the New York premiere of the musical “Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings” by Eric Whitacre and David Norona, and presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY), a chorus of 425 people conducted by Whitacre gathered on stage to replace the typical staging and action. Aged 14 to 73-years-old, the chorus produced glorious, powerful sounds, and they were well-blended, singing with excellent intonation and diction. They stood proudly the entire 80 minutes without intermission—which was astounding since they didn’t sing all that much—and the full-house audience also stood proudly after the performance, cheering loudly. To accompany the singers, there were synthesizers, the two talented Taiko drummers from the On Ensemble, and the fabulous cellist Fang Fang Xu.

The music of “Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings” is comprised of some familiar melodies—two moments were seemingly inspired by Valjean’s “Bring Him Home” from “Les Miserables” and the eerie part of “Johanna” from “Sweeney Todd”—ritualistic, electrifying percussion (although the wind chimes were overused), and some fascinating use of harmony. The choral and vocal ensemble-writing was fairly straight-forward, except that there was very skilled use of counterpoint in an Act II trio and in an Act I Quintet, which brought to mind the intricacies of Bizet’s Quintet in Act II of “Carmen”. The acting, obviously limited to the space in front of the microphones, was nevertheless very convincing. And the solo singing, particularly that of soprano Hila Plitmann, was stellar.

This Edward Esch story, which contains scenes of martial arts combat, is timely; the remake of the Karate Kid is doing well at the box office, and the second Kung Fu Panda film is due next summer—sure to be another hit. Seeing this tease of a production did make me dream about what a fully staged production would be like. The characters and their conversational interplay were interesting, and seeing them move on stage with that playful dialogue—as well as watching the combat scenes—would be a lot of fun. The narration here was crucial, but sometimes it was too obvious, such as: “(they) embrace”, followed by a hug. Seeing a concert version of “Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings” was about as frustrating as seeing a concert version of “West Side Story”, but it was a prelude to a potentially fantastic evening at the theater.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY)

DCINY Spirit Journey: The Journey from Africa to America

The Lincoln Gospel Choir; Swingsations Jazz Choir

Darcy Reese, Conductor

Robert Robinson and the Twin Cities Gospel Choir

Patricia Brown, Choreographer; Ahanti Young, Drummer

The Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall; Jazz at Lincoln Center; New York, NY

June 18, 2010

The Spirit Journey

In a concert presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) and dedicated to the memory of the great Gospel scholar Dr. Horace Clarence Boyer (1935-2009), the excellent choral conductor, Darcy Reese, led the Lincoln Gospel Choir and Swingsations Jazz Choir, along with the Twin Cities Gospel Choir and their amazing vocalist, Robert Robinson, in engaging, moving and beautifully prepared performances of stylistically versatile works that told the evolution of Africans during the last 400 years. Normally, this type of evening might be held on Martin Luther King Day, but this story of wrong-doing, struggle and freedom could be told any time of year—and often. And normally, a choir of African-American descent might present this program, but here, the choruses were from Minnesota, an all-Caucasian group that took on the responsibility of the historical significance of this event and the demands of singing in authentic African, Jazz, Blues and Gospel styles. To say they were successful would be an understatement. And they brought down the packed house at Lincoln Center. The students in the choir, who sang from memory, are high school-age, yet their collective voices, commitment and choreography (Patricia Brown, director) were presented at a high, professional level. All the professional instrumentalists, mostly comprised of drummers led by Ahanti Young, were terrific as well.

In Otieno’s arrangement of “Sigalagala” and Marsh’s arrangement of “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”, Zach Bauer, a young singer in the chorus, was excellent, singing first in authentic African dialect and later in a convincing Soul/R&B style. The Choreography of five dancers at the beginning of the evening was interesting, but the dancing talent among the students was not the concert’s sure-fire strength. In “Denko”, Hailey Bayne sang with a lovely voice. In Barnwell’s Spirituals, Robert Robinson was the epitome of heartfelt emotion. David Stenson’s tone was a bit shaky in his portrayal of Dell’s “Nobody Knows the Trouble I See”, but singing after Robinson is a very tough act to follow. Becca Kruta and Brenna Skallet (from the chorus) sang “Way Beyond the Blue” with great confidence and spirit, although the harmonizations were slightly off pitch. “Hold On” was sung with a unified sense of diction, swing and phrasing, especially with the word ‘everything’ in “everything will be all right”, which had snazzy zip in the fast-rising crescendo on the first two syllables and the punchy staccato on the third syllable. “I Wanna Die Easy When I Die” was sung absolutely gloriously by Robinson and the choir, which swayed with deep devotion. The Twin Cities Gospel Choir is a force to be reckoned with. The Saxophonist Kathy Jensen was excellent throughout.

“Great Day” and “If I had a Hammer”, performed back-to-back, were tied in to the Civil War of the 1860’s and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s, incorporating Jazz and Blues. A characterization of Rosa Parks was fitting but a bit jarring after mention of the 1860s. “I’ll be Alright” and “We Shall Overcome” were sung with great Gospel feeling. Gershwin’s Piano Prelude, which followed the bit of narration: “…but they had their jazz” doesn’t work because Gershwin wasn’t exactly African American; for the sake of the program, it would have been better to have talented young pianist Brianna Drevlow (from the chorus) learn some Art Tatum or a Duke Ellington arrangement instead. The Gershwin, in any case, was played with impressive flair— albeit too much hurry. Ahanti Young was the marvelous vocal percussionist (a la Bobby McFerrin) in Marsh’s arrangement of “Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing” against a cappella chorus that was only off pitch a few times.

In the final section, in which the presence of Gospel scholar, Dr. Boyer, was truly felt, and in which the audience was invited to participate, every successive number—complete with clapping and choreographed choral movement– sounded like it couldn’t be topped, but it was. “Do You Know the Light”, with its rapid-fire, layered entrances were infectious and intoxicating, drawing to mind some of the dizzying scenes in the film “The Blues Brothers.” But this was more than spectacle; these young kids from Minnesota somehow had an innate, profound understanding of the history of Africans and African Americans, and that devotion always transmitted to the audience with great poignancy. This chorus and these soloists sang with chemistry and conviction all the way through this marathon program of two and a half hours (without intermission). That of course is the least they could do, considering how much Africans and African Americans have had to endure throughout history. This presentation, which should be repeated as much as possible, has the ability to be as timeless or important as the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” or the Spielberg film “Amistad.” Everyone on stage seemed very proud of non-existing prejudice, a prejudice that seems to have finally disappeared during this time of the first African-American presidency, four hundred years after slavery began.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Alexander White, trumpet

2009 Olga Koussevitzky Young Artists Winner

Steinway Hall, New York City

May 13, 2010

In a concert sponsored by the Musicians Club of New York, the 2009 first place winner of the prestigious Olga Koussevitzky Young Artists Awards, trumpeter Alexander White, performed at beautiful Steinway Hall in New York City. This was the first time a trumpet player was awarded a prize in the competition’s winds and brass division, where flutists or clarinetists usually get the honor.

Mr. White is not new to placing in competitions, as he was a two-time finalist in the National Trumpet Competition and won the International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition, Metropolitan Washington Philharmonic’s Winds Competition and the City of Fairfax Band Competition. He has performed as soloist with the American Youth Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Washington Philharmonic and the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra. He is finishing his Masters Degree at Juilliard as a student of Mark Gould.

There was a good balance of styles in his program, and he also brought variety via distinguished performers, including another trumpet player, Caleb Hudson, and cellist Joe Lee for a performance of Handel’s Ode from Eternal Source of Light Divine. Hudson made an impressive partner in his brief appearance, almost stealing the show with a pure, golden high register. Here and in other works, White showed why he won such a high honor from the Olga Koussevitzky, but also showed why trumpet players don’t often tackle long programs: their lips simply give out after extensive playing. But even at the program’s outset (Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances), he displayed a fair amount of cracks or the occasional wrong note—perhaps due to some nerves or having an off-day, which brass players tend to have.

In general, Alexander White showed the type of technical brilliance that would warrant any brass and wind jury’s special attention. In both Bellstedt’s Napoli and in Arban’s Fantasie Brillante, his double-tonguing and rapid finger-work were very impressive, and in Handel/Fitzgerald’s Aria con Variazioni from the 5th Harpsichord Suite, scales and flourishes were played with both ease and elegance. Accomplished pianist Stephanie Wu, (also a Juilliard Masters student), was a solid accompanist throughout, as the ensemble-playing was consistently unified.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony

All Saints Church, New York, NY

May 2, 2010

The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony

The program was perfect: it had a central idea, which was music from or inspired by France. But even though the works were nicely tied together, they were also satisfyingly well-contrasted from one another. Bizet’s Symphony in C was composed by a Frenchman, who at 17 years of age was hardly a man or hardly French; his music, after all, was greatly inspired by the classical structures of Beethoven’s fourth, Schumann’s second and Mendelssohn’s third symphonies. Yet expansive French melody and chromaticism shine through, and this work is worthy of frequent performances. The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony played it marvelously well; David Bernard’s tempo choices were safe and fittingly musical at the same time—the last movement Allegro vivace, for example, wasn’t hurried or flashed for effect, but played so details could be heard. Only occasionally were trumpet and timpani eighth notes late or behind after a tied note. And only a few oboe and flute unison E’s were slightly off in the Adagio. In general, this was indeed a polished performance.

Debussy’s Nocturnes are associated with French Impressionism, yet they were an inspirational source for Stravinsky’s rhythmical Sacre du Printemps. The dreamy mood in Nuages (clouds) was captured exquisitely, and the orchestra was in sync with all of Fete’s syncopations and fly-by-night articulations. The stopped horns and trumpets were solidly in tune—though trumpet ensemble was a bit off in the March. The Premiere Rhapsodie for Clarinet and Orchestra was written later and shows a different, even less predictable side to Debussy—one with constantly shifting harmonies and irregular phrases and rhythms. It was given a sweetly seductive, technically masterful performance by the always excellent Jon Manasse.

Gershwin’s An American in Paris made a great impression all around: ensemble playing was in control—except in one syncopated brass section toward the end—balances were kept in check, intonation was excellent, tone quality beautiful, and the solo trumpet and trombone playing was very solid and evocative. Bernard added some nice touches, like a longer-than-usual bassoon grace note at the beginning of one of the slower parts. The swing section—featuring trumpet solos, trills and numerous syncopations was too slow for my taste, but every other tempo sounded completely natural. Bernard, who conducted the entire program from memory, should be very proud of what he has accomplished with this difficult program; the orchestra was confident and musical, technically impressive and extremely well-prepared.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Daniel Cho, violin

Sunglee Victoria Choi, piano

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

April 20, 2010

Daniel Cho

Daniel Cho played with a robust, confident sound at his New York recital debut, sponsored by the Korea Music Foundation; he displays a technique that is comparable to many top professionals today. Winner of the 2009 Great Mountains Music Festival Competition, he studies with Hyo Kang in Juilliard’s Pre-College Division. His technical prowess was exemplary in Wieniawski’s Fantaisie brillante on Themes from Gounod’s Faust; his up-bow spiccato, harmonics, difficult leaps, pizzicato and tricky double-stops were all eye-opening.

Corelli’s Sonata in E Major, which was composed in the second half of the 17th century, required clearer, more elegant phrasing and Baroque-Period simplicity, but Seunghyun Yun’s Decalcomania: Lament, a contemplative work combining the overt nature of open strings and the more mysterious qualities of major sevenths and minor ninths, was beautifully played, and with much devotion by Mr. Cho.

In the Grieg Sonata, pianist Sunglee Victoria Choi made the most of every solo turn, and—when required—she played with a lovely, tender sound. Cho had his musical moments too, but he didn’t always make the most of his opportunities to change tone color (his vibrato, pressure of the bow, etc.) in contrasting sections. Here and in Chopin’s Nocturne in D Major, Op. 27 No. 2, he sometimes forgot to substitute genuine sweetness for passion. Still, there is absolutely no doubt that Cho has complete command of his instrument. In fact, his sound is so resonant and lush that he would have no problem projecting over a full orchestra in heavily scored works such as the Shostakovich and Bartok concerti. And he certainly would be heard from the top balcony of a large hall such as Carnegie’s Stern Auditorium; hopefully, he will play there one day.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Junior Chamber Music

Junior Chamber Music
Presented by Distinguished Concerts International -New York, DCINY
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
April 11, 2010

From the west side of the United States to the west side of Manhattan, an impressive bunch of students from southern California, all part of an organization called Junior Chamber Music –founded and directed by Susan Boettger—performed extremely well-prepared, well-chosen music at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. The concert was presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York.

One of the most impressive performances on the program was Schumann’s Piano Quintet (the last two movements)—not just for its ensemble excellence and finesse in notoriously tricky passages and transitions, but for all its musical insights. Individually, the students are quite young and inexperienced with this music—violinists Lucas Stratmann and Hao Zhao are middle school-aged, Iona Batchelder is a 6th grade cellist, and violist Amanda Lin and pianist Jessie Wang are high school freshman— but collectively, they had a rare unity of interpretation and sounded more professional than they probably knew they were capable. In the Scherzo, the many up-and-down scales—which can often sound tedious in student performances, were exquisitely shaped, and the second theme was tender, showing a mature contrast in tone quality and expression.

The Mendelssohn piano trios received plenty of exposure on the program—G. Theory and the Vision and NYC trios performed movements admirably—with pianist Weston Mizumoto a standout for his excellent finger work in the D minor’s technically demanding first movement. Two other favorites of the repertoire, the Brahms Opus 8 and the Arensky were also excellent choices and given passionate performances by the Brahms and Angeles Trios. Despite small intonation lapses and some ordinary phrasing, Trio con Lancio’s playing in Martinu’s excellent Sonata for Flute, Violin and Piano was solidly together throughout.

Swing Shift, by Kenji Bunch, was another highlight of the program. I can see why the inventive 4th and 6th movements were selected for this group. Violinist Paya Sarraf, cellist Alec Hon and pianist Primitivo Cervantes reveled in the music’s Rock-Minimalistic beats, and the audience was swinging along with them. Excellent ensemble-playing and some intonation difficulties permeated the CalDuo performance of Duos for Flute and Clarinet by Robert Muczynski, and Jack McFadden-Talbot’s Concern, in its world premiere, was—considering an older, more experienced group at hand— overly simple in its use of rhythm and counterpoint. The mezzo Hannah McDermott is a wonderful talent with a lovely, expressive voice; she was teamed-up with flutist Taylor Weary and pianist Leslie Wu for a very fine performance of three songs from Deepest Desire by Jake Heggie.

The chemistry was palpable between violinist Judith Yu and cellist Allan Hon in the Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor (Variation movement); their physical gestures, vibrato, and bow strokes were always matching. They exuded a lush, professionally robust string sound and a finely-tuned sense of pitch. Renee Yang did an excellent job with the technical demands of the piano part, although she needs some more variety in her phrasing and dynamics. The group’s overall performance was engaging and polished, with well-timed transitions of tempo. Junior Chamber Music and all the ensembles on this program should be very proud of what they are accomplishing.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Peter Fletcher, guitar

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

March 27, 2010

Peter Fletcher’s loyal followers at Weill Recital Hall were treated to a program of classical guitar music that ran the gamut from Paduana, by Baroque lute music pioneer Esaias Reusner, to the haunting and ethereal Prelude and Ritual from David Leisner’s Four Pieces. Fletcher began the evening with three crowd-pleasing transcriptions: Handel’s Sarabande and Variations, Bach’s Prelude No.1 from Book 1 of The Well Tempered Clavier, and Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (a Foster transcription).

The highlight of the evening was Fletcher’s clever transcription of Erik Satie’s Sports and Divertissements. This set of fifteen of the twenty ephemeral, witty pieces was originally conceived as a multimedia project for music, with sketches by Charles Martin—of which some illustrations were printed in the program—and narration by Daniel Brondel, who gave an equally witty demonstration of each of Satie’s poetic commentaries. Colin-Maillard (or Blindman’s Bluff) particularly demonstrated the wide range of his personal vocabulary, which is unique in his transcriptions, and the same can be said of his transcriptions of Issac Albeniz’s Sevilla and Leopold Weiss’ Passacaglia.

In the program notes, Fletcher attributes the cumbersome quality of Bach’s Lute Suite in E minor to his lack of lute skills and reminds the audience that the score does not specify lute as the instrument for which it is written. Though Fletcher’s overall interpretation of the suite was very moving, he illustrated the aforementioned technical awkwardness by rushing through the end of the Gigue. He also performed, with some difficulty, his own transcription of Ravel’s Empress of the Pagodas from the Mother Goose Suite, though his arrangement of this and the Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty were strikingly clever. He did, however, give absolutely seamless performances of Villa-Lobos’ Gavotta-Choro and Carlo Domeniconi’s koyunbaba, (Turkish for “sheep-father”), which was particularly impressive due to the re-tuning of his guitar.

Throughout the program, Fletcher created an air of comfort in his musical presentation: his choice to address the audience in between movements, and his relaxed attire transformed the regal Weill Hall into his own living room, where the audience was made to feel very welcome.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

International Junior Music Competition

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

March 27, 2010

International Junior Music Competition

A Gala program featuring the winners of the International Junior Music Competition began with Sarasate’s Introduction and Tarantella performed by the young Kanon Kobayashi. Only around ten years old, she plays with great intonation, a robust sound, and a mature, varying vibrato. She is exceptionally musical and exudes a joy for the music she is playing. The Skylark by Balakirev, and Alborada del gracioso by Ravel were performed by 12-year-old pianist Hina Inokuchi. The Balakirev was a perfect choice, as she played with much grace and evocative color; the Ravel, which sounds better as an orchestral showpiece, lacked some of the passion and grandeur it needs.

In Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto finale, we heard a most prodigious girl, Emiri Kobayashi, perform on a tiny, buzzing violin. I was at first skeptical, but we soon learned that she is in fact ripe and ready for this virtuosic warhorse. It was her instrument that wasn’t ready—nor will it ever be—and I’m sure she can’t wait until she grows into a bigger violin. Paganini’s I Palpiti in A Major (Kreisler edition) was performed by eighth-grader Mao Konishi. Her harmonics were exquisite, as was her beautiful sound. She only needs to show a bit more flair and some more joy in her facial expressions to play this kind of showpiece.

Another showpiece, Ravel’s Tzigane, was well-performed by 15-year-old violinist, Issei Kobayashi. He reveled in Ravel’s music, playing with a flair befitting a gypsy. He executed excellent double-stops, pizzicato, octaves and harmonics, and started off with a captivating opening cadenza—sometimes he played a bit too deliberately or rushed—but he was always impressive. 16-year-old pianist, An Negishi, performed Griffes’ The White Peacock from Roman Sketches with a lovely sensitivity—sometimes sounding too cautious, but Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 3 was confident and powerful. Only sometimes did the phrasing sound bland in the second theme, and only at the end did the tempo feel too rushed, but her sparkling accents and varied dynamics brought both vigor and sincerity to her performance.In works by Beethoven, Ravel and Pierne, pianist Hinako Ota, who was born in 1994, played with a strong sound and a good technique. There was an engaging playfulness in passages that require it. She needs to work on a wider dynamic range; lighter, more directional phrasing; and better balance between right and left hands. In Wieniawski’s Fantasie Brillante, violinist Kana Egashira performed with exciting energy and clear signs of enjoyment in her playing. Aside from a few tonal and intonation imperfections, her virtuoso passages were fabulous. And she took her time is slower melodic phrases, milking notes with genuine musicality.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Traditional and Classical Music of Kazakhstan

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

March 27, 2010

An important concert at Weill Recital Hall fascinatingly revealed some history and updates of Kazakhstan’s instruments, composers and current musicians. And the chronology was presented handsomely, with exploration of the traditional qobyz instrument and Kazakhstan folk music. Aizhan Toleubaeva was the impressionable soloist in traditional dress. The qobyz produces many rich overtones, and it resonated beautifully in the hall. She also played it very musically, holding the instrument like a cello and gently caressing her bow against its strings. Then talented pianist Alia Alhan, who is also the director of the Cultural Center of Kazakhstan in New York, proceeded to play Four Preludes by Kazhgaliev, which had some Ravelian influences, and Kyui by Andosov, a work with many open 4ths and 5ths and reminiscent of Borodin’s music. Alhan played the works with lovely shades of color and pedaling, and she was extremely musical at transitions, with subtle, tasteful rubato.

The world premiere of the Sonata for Violin and Piano by Almas Serkebayev could not have been more successful. The piece is extremely well-written for both instruments, is consistently engaging, and the performances by violinist Raushan Akhmedyarova and pianist Temirzhan Yerzhanov were high-energy and high-accuracy. They blended together flawlessly, with both technical and tonal polish. The work itself has two intense and exciting outer movements with a haunting Lento—reminiscent of Shostakovich—in its middle. I particularly enjoyed the always-fascinating bass lines; the snazzy, syncopated waltz-like sections (also sometimes drawing Shostakovich to mind); and the biting harmonies, which were quite original.

The program concluded with Yerzhanov performing Schumann’s Carnival, Opus 9. A graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and the winner of the 1993 Schumann Piano Competition, Yerzhanov moved to the States in 2002. Some of the many pieces like Preambule and Aveu were lacking the requisite grandeur or just felt too hurried. But other pieces like Eusebius and Chopin contained just the right amount of delicate, lovely rubato. Marche des Davidsbundler Contre des Philistins occasionally featured an appealing majesty, and the work concluded with a fierce drive and a sheer display of virtuoso technique.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

The Chihara Trio

Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

March 25, 2010

The Chihara Trio, formed in 2009 and comprised of Penn State School of Music faculty members Anthony J. Costa on clarinet, violist Timothy Deighton and pianist Enrico Elisi, performed a diverse array of works that were sometimes interrelated in subtle, yet special ways. The clarinet/viola/piano trio repertoire isn’t often heard, so the forming of this ensemble was a great idea. The trio’s inaugural season has included performances throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland, and they made their New York debut with this concert.

The highlight of this program—as I expected—was Mozart’s inspired Trio in E-flat from 1786. Not only is it one of Mozart’s most beautiful works, it was given a splendid performance by the Chihara Trio. Deighton’s technical aplomb and precision during the notoriously tricky Menuetto movement were very impressive.

The group takes its name from Paul Chihara, whose new work Images was also featured on the program. This work is light-hearted and fun—pure and simple. The joy comes from anxiously awaiting musical quotes, which runs the gamut from Brahms to Schoenberg to Ellington. The work should be performed often. The trio made it clear why they dedicated their name to this composer, as they played every note with affection and devotion.

Schumann’s Fairy Tales, Op. 132, composed just three years prior to the composer’s untimely death in an insane asylum, is an uneven work, and the trio’s phrasing and dynamics needed more forward movement and exaggeration to pull off some of the awkward transitions. The last movement, for example, felt a bit sluggish.

The ensemble also performed Ad infinitum, composed by Kye Ryung Park. The notes C, D and E, which are used often and in a myriad of ways, are derived from the first letters of the trio members’ last names. So this was evidently an evening sponsored by the mutual admiration society; Park’s aforementioned subtle dedication to members of the trio, the trio dedicating their name to Chihara, and Chihara himself paying homage to a long list of influential composers.

by Anthony Aibel for New York Concert Review; New York, NY