Those who were privileged to be sitting in the audience in Elder Hall, University of Adelaide, on the 14 September were treated to a virtuosic display by a young musician who began his musical career in Adelaide. The Paganini Violin Concerto No.1 Op.6 was played by the Tianyou Ma, joined by the Adelaide Youth Orchestra, and conducted by Nicholas Braithwaite.
Tianyou Ma tackled the technical difficulties of this concerto with total confidence and panache. In an interview on Kaleidoscope earlier he had mentioned that he chose the most difficult cadenza, and for several spell binding minutes we held our breath as he executed it with musicianship and skill. As Nic Jeffries (Executive Director of AdYO) said in his introduction, Tianyou Ma is an inspiration to all the young musicians playing in the orchestra. Tianyou is now on his way back to Julliard, but he will be back in Adelaide later in the year.
The orchestra under the guidance of Nicholas Braithwaite was excellent in the Paganini Concerto. The Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op. 64 by Tchaikovsky presented different challenges, with the dark mood of the opening bars and moving through the themes which recur in differing guises, to the more uplifting finale. The Adelaide Youth Orchestra is an orchestra of young but accomplished musicians who with the guidance of the senior musicians who give their time to tutor, and, as in the case of Nicholas Braithwaite, to lead them, provide wonderfully exciting and fresh approaches to music that we all love.
The program notes by Tahlia Williams, a former member of AdYO were both informative and entertaining. The two attributes do not always go together.
I would recommend that you book your ticket for the AdYO Finale Celebrations on 16 November now, at ADYO.COM.AU/ CONCERTS/
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