Concert highlights masterful talents

Wednesday's concert at the Musical Arts Center was nothing short of brilliant. It was the first concert performed by the Concert Orchestra this year, and under the guidance of conductor David Effron, the group captivated its audience throughout the two-hour performance. \nBut the standout performance of the evening was graduate student Winston Choi's mastery of the piano. His rendition of Prokofiev's Concerto No. 2 was majestic and masterful.\nThe evening's musical festivities got off to a promising start with Claude Baker's Symphony No. 1, "The Whitman Cycle." The symphony was divided into two parts, each consisting of nonvocal commentary on two of Walt Whitman's poems. \nThe symphony incorporated grand orchestral music with sudden bursts of chaos by the trumpet, piano and percussion that accentuated a well-written piece of music. \n"The orchestra conveyed everything I wanted them to convey and more," Baker said. \nWhile it was a successful endeavor by composer, conductor and orchestra, it was obvious from audience reaction that reading Whitman's poems might have enabled them to better appreciate the music.\nThis was followed by the highlight of the evening, Prokofiev's Concerto No. 2 in G Minor. Choi on the piano and the Concert Orchestra under Effron made this into an absolute treat for the audience. The orchestra gave an exemplary performance of the dynamic concerto. \nThe music consisted of several elements of classical Western music. It was very romantic and very fast. It had a typical Russian character, and, perhaps most importantly, it was harmonious, melodic and rhythmic. It was a challenging piece of music and required endurance and stamina. \nChoi delivered a scintillating performance, playing rapidly with perfect mastery of every note. What was even more impressive was that he played the entire 35-minute concerto from memory. He received thunderous applause at the end of his marathon performance. \nBut Choi was modest about \nhis performance.\n"I was happy about the way I played, especially because it was the first time I played this piece with an orchestra. But I would do several things differently if I were to do this again. There is a lot of room for improvement," Choi said.\nThe final piece of the evening followed a brief intermission. This piece paid homage to the 19th century German composer Felix Mendelssohn. The Concert Orchestra flawlessly performed Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 5 in D Major, also known as the Reformation Symphony. \nWhile Prokofiev's symphony exemplified the technical aspects of music, when it came to pure harmony with a romantic feel, Mendelssohn was the perfect choice. If Prokofiev's concerto was dominated by Choi's piano, Mendelssohn's symphony was dominated by the harmonious strings of the orchestra. \nThis soothing, seemingly flawless rendition of Mendelssohn's romantic masterpiece was a fitting conclusion to a grand evening of music.