In a lovely performance space at AC Pianocraft, Dr.
Ana Maria Trenchi Bottazzi warmly greeted an enthusiastic audience.
This Gala Concert represented honor students of the Pinault School who
have shown the talent and more importantly the “will” to persevere toward
professional quality performance. A lovely touch was the request for all mothers to stand for
applause in honor of Mothers’ Day.
COLLEEN
STACK opened
the program with a Mozart “Allegro” showing good control of dynamics and
excellent rhythmic energy.
MAYU HEMMI performed her “Austrian Song” with variations by
Pacher with beautiful phrasing, technical command and a great deal of grace and
delicacy. CLAIRE DRAGO performed the Paderewski “Minuet”, capturing the
spirit of this lovely piece and showing great poise and good pedaling and
dynamics. In the Durand
“Valse”, KATHRYN IMPERIALE
exhibited good fingers and was in fine control of the spirit of the piece.
The “Allegro” of the Mozart Sonata, K. 545 was played with exuberant
dynamic contrasts, good fingers and a fine sense of timing by DUSTIN
LEE.
JOANNA
KALAFATIS
captured the elegance and grace of Chopin’s famous “Minute Waltz”.
KATE STACK’s performance of
Haydn’s “Allegro” from the D Major Sonata received a huge ovation from the
audience. She showed a fine
technique and excellent handling of dynamics, capturing Haydn’s drive and
sparkle. SHANNON
SUN-HIGGINSON’s “Rustles of Spring” by Sinding showed sensitive
musicality and was poised and articulate. HANNAH
RUDMAN JURKOWICZ’s superb Mendelssohn “Scherzo” in e minor showed a
top-notch technique and control of contrasts.
You could nearly see the wood nymphs dancing as she played.
The audience responded with voluminous gratitude.
Debussy’s
“Clair de Lune” was performed by SAROJA
BANGARU with poise and sensitivity. CHRIS
DEMARIO’s difficult “Allegro” of Beethoven’s Sonata, Op. 2, No. 3
showed an effortless technique and use of dynamics with good recovery in some
shaky sections. PATRICK
CHANG in an immense talent, having been heard on other occasions.
He handled the massive Chopin “Scherzo” in b flat minor with
assurance and expected virtuosic flair. There
seemed to be some difficulty with the instrument in terms of a sluggish pedal
and occasional harsh sound but, notwithstanding, a masterful performance.
ANNE LEUNG’s “L’isle
Joyeuse” by Debussy was poised and elegant with a good technical command and
bravura flair when required. The
Khatchaturian “Toccata” clearly belonged to CHRISTINA
BIANCO. She performed it with
great flair and enthusiasm.
HAYLEY
KUCICH’s “Overture”
to My Fair Lady by Loewe was delightful and thoroughly professional. Dameron's “If You Could See Me Now” was played gently and
sensitively; with a good sense of style by ANDREW
CIANCIMINO. KAROLINA
BAKER’s
beautiful control and styling of the elegant, dance-like “Ballade” in A Flat
Major by Chopin was a delight. Poised,
professional playing. Dr. MICHAEL ERRICO performed the monstrously difficult
“Liebestod” by Wagner-Liszt with great sensitivity and flair. I have played it for years and have never had the courage to
try to memorize it. Bravo Dr.
Errico. The “Barcarolle” of
Chopin was played by JOHN KORCYNSZKI
with elegance and passion. Musically
sound and focused (no small feat in this difficult composition) he showed a
polished and controlled technique that we have come to expect from this
immensely gifted and refined young pianist.
I don’t really know what to say about DANIELA
BRACHHI, who ended the program with the Kabalevsky “Rondo”, Op. 59.
I still remember hearing her play when she was ten years old and even at
that point she was astounding. I
have followed her playing over the years and have always been firmly in her
corner but today, after not hearing her since she graduated from high school a
couple of years ago, I can only say
“Magnificent”! The flair, the
poise, the control, the drive and the electric energy that one hears from a
major artist were all there in abundance. As
an encore-tribute for the mothers in the audience, Daniela played the Poulenc
“Humoresque” in a totally delightful manner.
It is difficult to write a review of performances by
students. By the very fact that
their hard work and dedication has earned them a place on a program of this
caliber says the very best that can be said.
I look forward to hearing each and every one of them in the near future.