The reviews are in:
Boston Classical Review: Zander, sans scores, leads Boston Phil Youths in kinetic Beethoven and Strauss
"On Sunday, the score was played with appealing songfulness. The Hero’s theme swaggered, yes, but it was also strikingly warm and lyrical...Concertmaster Eric Chen delivered the violin solos in “The Hero’s Companion” with considerable panache...his grasp of the notes and overriding character of the music was compelling. Also, for plushness of tone, Chen’s account of his solo’s soaring peroration left little to be desired...the quiet spots, by and large, spoke with gripping focus, especially those involving the BPYO’s woodwinds. Additionally, the brass section’s grandest moments—be they the soaring horns at the culmination of “The Hero at Battle” or the work’s radiant final chord—were resplendent." -Jonathan Blumhofer
Photos by Hilary Scott
