Six melodic pieces from a diverse range of orchestral music greeted those who chose to attend the Academy Orchestras’s concert last Friday night. The concert consisted of student performers comprising the Corelli Ensemble, conducted by Elizabeth Aureden, Instructor in Music, the Academy Chamber Orchestra, conducted by James M. Orent, Instructor in Music, the Amadeus Ensemble, conducted by Christina Landolt, Instructor in Music, and the Academy Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Orent. The Corelli Ensemble opened the concert with “String Quartet No.1, Op 49” by Dmitri Shostakovich. Even though the piece began on a shaky note due to pitch problems, the musicians were able to persevere and deliver a warm, resounding harmony. The Amadeus Ensemble followed with Felix Mendelssohn’s “Sinfonia No. 12 in G minor” and executed the gentle melody successfully. The Academy Chamber Orchestra performed afterwards, playing “Concerto in B minor for Four Violins from L’Estro Armonico Op. 3 No. 10” by Antonio Vivaldi. The piece featured four soloists, Marga Kempner ’12, Yonwoo Kim ’12, Miki Nagahara ’13 and Rachel Ryu ’12, all performing with clarity and full sound. Nolan Crawford ’14 said, “It is nice to come to a concert once in a while and appreciate the ability of musicians at Andover.” The Academy Symphony Orchestra performed Frederic Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op.11,” featuring soloist David Lim ’12 on the piano. The first movement was played in allegro maestoso, with regal and energetic notes. The piece required the utmost care of pianist Lim to fit with the orchestral accompaniment in order to deliver a smooth, crisp and melodic line. Lim achieved this and displayed his technique with good phrasing and dynamics. Kempner said, “The Chopin piece exhibited the talent of [Lim].” The repertoire expanded further to the likes of Dmitri Shostakovich and Ludwig van Beethoven. A marimba concerto by Nel Rosauro proved to be a highlight of the concert with its unconventional music, featuring soloist Kelly Stathis ’12 and the Academy Chamber Orchestra. Aureden said, “My favorite piece was the ‘Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra.” It was different from the normal repertoire and was played wonderfully.” According to Aureden, the piece is rarely attempted at a high school level, due to its demand for near-to perfect tempo and challenging mallet work. Regardless, Stathis’ piston strokes and permutations were of a professional quality. The notes transitioned melodically from high to low on Stathis’s marimba, staying in perfect tune with the orchestra and leaving the audience to marvel at the harmony. Rebecca Cheng ’14 said, “I was blown away by [Stathis]. It was truly a stellar performance. The marimba concerto left me speechless.” Every term, the Academy Orchestra Concerts give the community a taste of what is happening in Andover’s musical sphere. All the talent and mastery of complicated pieces is showcased in these performances. Meghan Jacoby, a flute instructor, said, “It is good for people to be exposed to all art forms, and concerts are a good way to be exposed.” Although many students attend concerts of similar nature for the requirements of certain music courses, the experience of enjoying and appreciating music prose is both enlightening and relaxing, and is a pleasant addition to the weekend.
