Asian Cultural Exchange Organization REVIEW
Here is a concert review by ACEO Executive Director Jihyun Shin (Translated from Korean to English)
On April 29, at 5:00 pm, people of all ages from young children to elderly seniors alike awaited from their seats in a crowded Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall to watch the performance of Solisti Ensemble. The performance began promptly after the eleven artists filed onto the stage. Solisti ensemble consists of Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, and Bass. The eleven performers of different races and backgrounds all came together as one natural sound. The ensemble gave a very soft start and concluded strong and clear. As each piece was performed, one would feel as if they were watching a moving landscape because of the natural sound and beauty. The solo Erhu instrument in Engraft for Erhu and Strings composed by Jeeyoung Kim was particularly impressive. The Erhu is a two-stringed, bowed, traditional Chinese instrument. Through the Erhu, composer Jeeyoung Kim expresses the deep and mixed emotions of her Asian roots. The Erhu is two-stringed; however, the four-stringed violin also took charge within the piece through the tone and colors. The Erhu gives off a timbre almost comparable to a human’s, and one wouldn’t be able to suppress their marvel while it is being played. Also, something new were the instruments that joined the stage after the intermission, such as drums, harp, trumpet, bassoon, clarinet etc. The various instruments brought a joyful presence to the stage and ensemble, which the audience was able to feel. The Solisti Ensemble maintains the fundamentals of classical music but creates a new chapter through their art. Of course, there are those who not take much interest in classical music because of its time period. However, it was not in any way boring and the audience was able to truly enjoy a genuine and joyful performance. Solisti Ensemble’s diversity and ability to move with the increasing flow of time is especially noteworthy and makes a worthwhile and incredibly beautiful performance.
On April 29, at 5:00 pm, people of all ages from young children to elderly seniors alike awaited from their seats in a crowded Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall to watch the performance of Solisti Ensemble. The performance began promptly after the eleven artists filed onto the stage. Solisti ensemble consists of Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, and Bass. The eleven performers of different races and backgrounds all came together as one natural sound. The ensemble gave a very soft start and concluded strong and clear. As each piece was performed, one would feel as if they were watching a moving landscape because of the natural sound and beauty. The solo Erhu instrument in Engraft for Erhu and Strings composed by Jeeyoung Kim was particularly impressive. The Erhu is a two-stringed, bowed, traditional Chinese instrument. Through the Erhu, composer Jeeyoung Kim expresses the deep and mixed emotions of her Asian roots. The Erhu is two-stringed; however, the four-stringed violin also took charge within the piece through the tone and colors. The Erhu gives off a timbre almost comparable to a human’s, and one wouldn’t be able to suppress their marvel while it is being played. Also, something new were the instruments that joined the stage after the intermission, such as drums, harp, trumpet, bassoon, clarinet etc. The various instruments brought a joyful presence to the stage and ensemble, which the audience was able to feel. The Solisti Ensemble maintains the fundamentals of classical music but creates a new chapter through their art. Of course, there are those who not take much interest in classical music because of its time period. However, it was not in any way boring and the audience was able to truly enjoy a genuine and joyful performance. Solisti Ensemble’s diversity and ability to move with the increasing flow of time is especially noteworthy and makes a worthwhile and incredibly beautiful performance.
