Picture this: the vibrant, atmospheric, pulse of the Jack Singer Concert Hall, buzzing in the way that it always does in the final minutes before the musicians walk onstage. Now, as the orchestra members file in and the chairs begin to fill, imagine that same feeling quadrupled.
That was the aura when Canada’s National Youth Orchestra settled into their unusual setup for the first piece of their performance on Sunday night. The usual pre-concert buzz in combination with the irreverent passion of the nation’s most promising young orchestral musicians made for a fantastic energy throughout the entire performance
The National Youth Orchestra, established in 1965, is a summer music institute that aims to provide a world-class training experience to 90-100 Canadian musicians aged 16-28. A two-time winner of the “Best Youth Orchestra in the World”, its June-August residency provides a professional and transformative experience for all members. Ultimately, 40% of Canadian orchestral musicians are NYO alumni.
It is an NYO tradition to commission a piece of music from a Canadian composer each year, and Sunday’s performance’s repertoire began with Emilie LeBel’s Monograph of a Bird’s Eye. It was a piece rich with mystery and subtlety, and featured the usage of a wind machine to create a series of sonic episodes. Personally, I’m generally a fan of more traditional pieces, but I did appreciate the inventiveness that was evident in this piece. I would be intrigued to hear more from LeBel’s future compositions.
Photo: Marco Borggreve
Next in the evening’s lineup was Richard Strauss’s Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra, composed in 1945. Oboe soloist Hugo Lee was what took my breath away during this performance– his finesse and impeccable tone made him an excellent vehicle for the lyrical style. Even as the unusual lack of pauses between movements left the concerto feeling a bit repetitive, Lee kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
After a brief intermission, the concert closed with the iconic suite that was my favourite part of the evening– Holst’s The Planets. This is one of my favourite orchestral suites, and going into the show, I hadn’t realised that I would have the incredible opportunity to hear it played live. As for the musicians, well, they seemed equally enthusiastic about this selection; I noticed a clear feeling of excitement and animation particularly in the first three movements. This was where the orchestra had the opportunity to showcase their full range of ability, and I was left quite blown away.
Overall, it was a highly enjoyable evening with spectacular music made even more impressive by the young faces of the musicians. I hope to have the pleasure of seeing many of them in concert again over the years as they move onto bigger and better things.
Top image source can be found here and feature image is my own