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Symphony
ESPANA SEGURO AT SO CO PHIL'S JACKSON THEATER CONCERT
by Terry McNeill
Sunday, February 2, 2025
Choral and Vocal
MASTERFUL SINGING CLASS IN SCHROEDER HALL
by Pamela Hicks Gailey
Sunday, February 2, 2025
Recital
MUSICAL POT POURRI AT SPRING LAKE VILLAGE RECITAL
by Terry McNeill
Friday, January 31, 2025
CELLO AND CLARINET HIGHLIGHT TRIO NAVARRO'S CONCERT
by Ron Teplitz
Sunday, January 26, 2025
SONGS OF LOVE, IN A WARM TRIO
by Pamela Hicks Gailey
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Symphony
EARTHLY PLEASURES AT THE VALLEJO SYMPHONY
by Peter Lert
Sunday, January 19, 2025
Symphony
EARTHLY PLEASURES AT THE VALLEJO SYMPHONY
by Abby Wasserman
Sunday, January 19, 2025
Recital
TWO AND FOUR HANDS DELIGHT AT THE 222
by Nicki Bell
Sunday, January 19, 2025
Chamber
NEW CENTURY'S BRILLIANT STRING PLAYING IN WEILL
by Terry McNeill
Saturday, January 18, 2025
SYMPHONIC CONTRASTS IN SRS WEILL HALL CONCERT
by Peter Lert
Saturday, January 11, 2025
SYMPHONY REVIEW
Spring Lake Village Classical Music Series / Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra. Bobby Rogers, conductor. Henry Miller, violin; Samuel Oryn, narrator

YOUTH ORCHESTRA CHARMS BIG SPRING LAKE AUDIENCE

by Terry McNeill
Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Usually the Spring Lake Village auditorium stage is pretty empty, with a small chamber music ensembles. In February it was a solo harpist, and April’s concert will be a solo pianist. All that changed Feb. 28 when the 53 musicians of Santa Rosa Symphony’s Youth Orchestra took the stage before a packed hall of 150. Eighteen schools provided the performers.

Conducted by Bobby Rogers, the 53 players began with Smetana’s Moldau Suite from Má Vlast, and completed the first part with part of Ravel’s Tzigane, with violinist soloist concertmaster Henry Miller.

Playing in the abbreviated 1874 Moldau Suite was properly Wagnerian with Rheingold sonorities, the strings light and the percussion (Nathra Kem) loud. A shortened Tzigane excerpt caught the gypsy character of the music and Mr. Rogers’ tempo was brisk.

Oboist Samuel Oryn was the narrator for Prokofiev’s venerable Children’s Suite Peter and the Wolf, written in 1936 and popular since. Classy solos were heard throughout by Cheyeon Shin (flute); bassoonist Fisher Lamborn; Damian Burgess (clarinet) and hornist Remy Desjarlais. Instruments were placed both on the hall’s floor and the stage, winning the acoustic battle of the auditorium’s famously dry and un reverberant sound. Balances were good with lower string sound prevailing, especially the double basses.

Flute and bassoon duos were lovely and convincing, and as Mr. Oryn’s final words stated at the happy march to the zoo, the duck was still alive in the wolf’s stomach.