Thursday (2/5) on PlaybillArts.com, Jennifer Flaster writes about the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, an amateur group based in New York with “an admired sound that is attracting notice among music aficionados throughout the city. … Since 1999 when David Bernard founded PACS, as it is known, the orchestra has established its musical presence and successfully attracted the best amateur players in the city. Over time, Bernard has carefully cultivated a musical sensitivity among the players that heightens their collective awareness of the sound they are creating. … Bernard sets high expectations for PACS by design. His philosophy is that an orchestra, or any group for that matter, will only be as good as it is expected to be. … According to [horn player David] Schulze, ‘what helps differentiate PACS from an amateur orchestra is that each member is treated as a professional musician.’ That respect commands loyalty and commitment from its members. … In addition to scheduled performances at Carnegie Hall and the NYU Skirball Center for the Arts, the orchestra was selected by the Friends of the Arts (FOTA) to be featured in the Grand Finale of its annual Beethoven Festival on Long Island in May.”
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