The reviews are in:
Boston Classical Review: Boston Phil Youth Orchestra tackles cornerstone works with rich tone and heartening spirit
"The orchestra played this with great elan, the feeling they were having fun. Instrumental solos were lively and polished...Where this group really shined was in how they took to the music’s rhythms, young players tend to be rhythmically flexible and their playing had something close to swing to it. That was terrific. The orchestra continued to impress in the Brahms symphony. Again, the weight of their sound and variety of color were excellent...This would have been an impressive performance for any professional orchestra." -George Grella, Read the review here.
The Arts Fuse: Classical Album & Streaming Reviews: “Spanish Impressions,” Boston Philharmonic Orchestra & Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in Concert
"Afterwards came the Brahms First Symphony in a reading that was full of color and direction, the reflective moments warm and well-blended, the fast ones snapping right along. Despite a few hiccups in the ensemble in the last two movements, the BPYO’s performance didn’t stint on might or character...Indeed, Zander’s grasp of the music’s architecture ensured a purposeful flow. For icing (as it were), virtually all the Symphony’s solos — particularly those from concertmaster Darwin Chang and principal horn Graham Lovely — were dispatched with elegance and majesty." Read the full review here.
Photos by Hilary Scott