Orchestra music is something I hardly consider myself to be an expert on. Despite this, I have had a certain beginner background in the art of orchestra music. I was a part of one in middle school and worked with some in high school as well. Though I do not know the ins and outs of this type of music, I was glad I had that background that allowed me to pick out certain parts of concert that I might not have noticed.

After sitting down and admiring the grand beauty of the church, the music started. The first act was surrounded upon dual clarinets. While not my favorite act of the night, the skill it takes to play these instruments came through strongly. I always think with wind instruments that it must be very difficult to play while constantly running out of breath. At times in the performance the clarinet sounds became rapid and highly technical. Along with this though, came an array of high notes that, while difficult, were not particularly appealing to my ear. There was a certain moment in the performance where one of the players messed up, resulting in a glare from the accompanying player. Five minutes later, as if on cue, the same thing happened to the player who glared. Karma I guess. It was slightly comical, although I did feel bad. Being a fellow performer, I know how horrible it feels to mess up in the middle of a performance. The next featured performer was Melanie Genin, playing the harp. The harp itself is such a beautiful and angelic instrument. From the look to the sound, there is something different about it. Watching her hands glide across the strings of the harp was simply mystifying. Her performance was seemingly flawless and makes me wonder how she made it look so effortless.

Finally, it was time for Dr. Kahan’s performance. I was quite excited to hear her play again since last time was so good. Her performance did not disappoint. The technical ability to be able to play so fast, with such accuracy and dynamics is amazing. It was just as mistake free as last time, showing how much preparation she puts into her performances. I am glad that I was able to see her perform a second time. There are many things that I can take away from her dedication to her craft.