A Talented Alliance

On September 19, 2010, the World Youth Alliance Chamber Orchestra was publicly debuted at the Church of Saint Vincent Ferrer. The orchestra consists of young and talented musicians between the ages of 10 and 18. Alexis Kende, the World Youth Alliance Director of Cultural Programs, founded the orchestra. A violinist herself, Ms. Kende had the challenge of preparing the 21 musicians with the help of her sister, Crista Kende, the World Youth Alliance Chamber Orchestra Artistic Advisor.

The orchestra performed double concertos by both Bach and Vivaldi, an adagio by Jay Greenberg and “Serenade for Strings” by Tchaikovsky. It was evident from the first piece that the performers were pretty nervous. They stiffly played their instruments. The audience could feel their anxiety as well. Most definitely, the parents of the musicians were on the edge of their seats, hoping for a smooth and mistake–free performance. By the second and third pieces, the performers had gained confident in themselves. They were relaxed and moved smoothly with their instruments. The atmosphere became calm and peaceful as the audience started to really pay attention to the beautiful melodies of the music. The people were able to sit back and enjoy the remaining selections.

Thanks to Kende’s arrangement of the pieces, most of the performers were able to showcase their talents in their solos. The musicians were definitely excited to exhibit their talents, as they were smiling throughout their individual pieces. Each soloist took pride in the music he or she was performing. It appeared that each note they played was carefully and accurately done so.  The youngest soloists impressed me the most. They did not hesitate during their pieces. They performed with grace and were very professional in their conduct at the beginning and ending of their pieces. It is hard to believe how much control musicians had over instruments at such young ages.

The selection by Tchaikovsky was by far the best piece. It was performed by the whole orchestra, giving the audience a chance to hear all of them playing together. I was thoroughly impressed with the transition between the pieces and the start of each performance. The orchestra was not lead by a conductor. Yet, the musicians were able to start each selection in unison. There were no awkward beginnings for any of the pieces. The performance of an adagio by Jay Greenberg most captivated the audience with its non-traditional melodies. The composer should most definitely be applauded for the originality of the piece.

Alexis Kende set out to accomplish a very challenging task. Some might even say an impossible one, but Ms. Kende has proven them wrong. This orchestra is a force to be reckoned with.  These musicians are young, talented and professional. The level of perfection these kids have attained at such a young age is unimaginable. I thoroughly enjoyed the debut and was inspired to gain a more in-depth knowledge of classical music.