In Tuesday’s (2/1) Philadelphia Inquirer, David Patrick Stearns writes, “Nobody quite knows where the tune came from, even those who composed it. Though Musicopia String Orchestra, a youth ensemble, usually rehearses traditional classics every Tuesday in Center City, its concert Saturday will feature brand-new works containing melodic contributions from the orchestra’s young musicians—contributions that seem startlingly mature, such as Blue Evening, coauthored by 14-year-old concertmaster Sean Bennett. ‘I don’t know where he pulled it out. It’s just beautiful,’ says Tina Davidson, whose composing seminars with Musicopia yielded the three new pieces. … The 60-member group, for city and suburban musicians ages 8 to 17, has a season of 37 weekly rehearsals, three concerts, a $300 tuition, and three tiers. The top-level chamber-sized orchestra will play a Vivaldi aria on Saturday with soprano Clara Rottsolk, a world-class singer who was also Tempesta di Mare’s soloist last weekend. … [Davidson] feels no great difference between her work with Musicopia and the piece she was writing for star violinist Hilary Hahn.”
Posted February 1, 2011
