In Monday’s (12/17) Spokesman Review (Spokane, Washington), Larry Lapidus writes, “Leading Saturday’s Holiday Pops concert by the Spokane Symphony and Spokane Symphony Chorale at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox was the orchestra’s resident conductor, Morihiko Nakahara. His impish wit and engaging platform manner combine with his superb musicianship to make him an ideal host for a festive evening of music. … Any fears that the orchestra’s time away might have taken the edge off the terrific playing we have come to expect were immediately dispelled by their performance of James Stephenson’s ‘Holiday Overture,’ one of four pieces on the program composed or arranged by Stephenson. … Stephenson was not the only brilliant arranger whose works appeared on the program. Ralph Vaughan Williams, Hershy Kay and Leroy Anderson all enlarged our idea of what a symphony orchestra is capable of, as did, of course, Rimsky-Korsakov, whose ‘Dance of the Tumblers,’ from his sadly neglected masterpiece ‘The Snow Maiden’ really allowed Nakahara and the orchestra to strut their stuff.”
Posted December 17, 2012
