Pacifica Tribune 5

Pacifica Tribune Review of The San Francisco Concerto Orchestra's Competition for Musicians of All Ages December 16, 2005 at Sanchez Concert Hall, Pacifica

By Jean Bartlett
Arts Correspondent

Amelia Earhart once said: “Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.”  It takes a lot of courage to compete which is just what each entrant must do when performing in The San Francisco Concerto Orchestra and International Competitions for Musicians.  Friday night these musical competitors came to Pacifica’s Sanchez Concert Hall, stood on the ledge of their musical talent and took a leap.  For those of us seated in the Concert Hall that leap just sailed on wings.  Through these competitions the organization’s founder and artistic director – pianist, composer, arranger Seth Montfort gives to audiences not only a chance to witness courage under fire but to hear some exceptionally beautiful music from artists we might not yet know.  Though be advised, some are already among the famous.  (To read more about these competitions please type into: www.sfconcerto.org.)

The first performer was 16 year old violinist Reuben Moss.  Mr. Moss was accompanied on piano by Chris Salocks.  Moss played the first movement of the “Barber Violin Concerto.”  Not yet completely comfortable on stage; Moss’s obvious prowess on violin should be every bit encouraged as he clearly shows a potential for greatness.  The next contestants, returning to the stage from a December 2 competition, were sister and brother duo, Marika (age 18) and Colin (age 16).  Each musician can play a mean guitar and fiddle and Marika has a clear and lovely soprano perfect for the “roots” music they swing.  Several of their Swedish polskas and Scottish reels really got their audience to pound out a rhythm by hand and on foot.  While both have the talent to light a marquee, and Marika is an obvious stage natural, Colin needs to let loose on that old crowd pleaser, performer’s enthusiasm.

The third performer was violinist Eric Leong.  Mr. Leong was accompanied by Dimitry Cogan on piano.  He began his presentation with a Shostakovich violin concerto which required, and he delivered, masterful articulation.  Clearly Mr. Leong is at ease in the “great” expectation of his instrument.  However, the piece itself is as dreary as looking at a grey day from under grey sheets in a grey room.  Now the second piece of Leong’s program, “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28” by Camille Saint-Saëns was that seamless soul melt, when beautiful music finds an artist to play her.  Leong expressed a wonderful voice on his instrument, finger dancing through spicatto, staccato and providing more string color than one can find in a rainbow.

Next entrants up, pianist Duane Heller and his wife, San Francisco opera violist Patricia Heller, together known as the Highwater Ensemble.  The first piece they played was the last movement of the “Viola Sonata” by Russian composer Shostakovich.  Shostakovich wrote the “Sonata for Viola and Piano, Opus 147” one month before his death in August of 1975, and it is a lovely farewell from a man born into an age of socialist realism.  Throughout this piece, Shostakovich weaves Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata in and through his piano conversation.  Together Duane and Patricia offered a graceful nobility on each of their respective instruments, producing a union of sound subdued yet plentiful.  The second piece they played was a stand up and fly arrangement by Duane of Gershwin’s “It Ain’t Necessarily So.”  Syncopated, plucking, smart sass on strings and a keyboard; this was a great short parade of piano and viola dazzle and a whirl.

The 5th performer was classical pianist Sandra Simich.  Simich literally pulling up to the Sanchez as the arrow on the stopwatch neared the chime on her turn (she had a previous musical engagement), soared up to the stage with her coat on and played two pieces by Chopin just like Chopin wrote them – with an original genius and an ability to present poetry and dream all within a swirl of technical marvel.  Wow, wow and wow!  For those of us still swooning the names of those pieces were: “Waltz in A Flat Major” and “2nd Ballade in F Major.”

The 6th performer was classical pianist Myrna Setiawan who performed “Concert Arabesques On Motifs From the Waltz 'On the Beautiful Blue Danube', Op. 134, by Johann Strauss, concert paraphrase by Andrei Schulz-Evler.” A virtuoso showpiece, Setiawan delivered piano magnifique: rich, full, delicate, and explosive with a wonderful command of the elegance and charm of old Vienna .  Sigh and phew times ten.  P.S. Setiawan will be playing the Sanchez on February 4.

The evening ended on a scurrying bit of wicked fun with the Montfort composed and played “Fandango-Huapango.”  This piece is a portrait of pianist Annette DiMedio who will be on the Sanchez stage in January – and the piece every bit as smart as the pianist it portrays is another reminder that all the best play at the Sanchez.  Happy Holidays!

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