On a sunny September afternoon, a small chamber ensemble gathered before a congregation of family, friends, and strangers in St. Vincent Ferrer Church on Manhattan’s Upper East Side for its first public performance. Relying on only a few weeks of practice, its members were completely professional, fully at peace with the task at hand as they did some last minute tuning of their violins, violas, and cellos. When all were ready, there was a collective inhale, and suddenly music filled the room, as the group flew through piece after piece, tackling virtuoso compositions from Bach, Vivaldi, and Tchaikovsky. Sounds like your typical chamber performance? Think again.
What if I said the oldest member of this chamber group was only seventeen? That’s right, the World Youth Alliance Chamber Orchestra isn’t any ordinary orchestra. It’s twenty or so members, aged between ten and seventeen years, happen to be some of the most talented young musicians in New York City, having received musical instruction from such reputable schools as The Julliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. Handpicked by director Alexis Kende, a professional violinist herself, these students have passed grueling auditions, which require a ten-minute performance and an interview, to receive a seat in this orchestra. Their passion and commitment to music shows when they perform. They are focused and play with dignity, doing great justice to advanced pieces such as Bachs’s Double Concerto in D minor for 2 violins and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. The professionalism with which the students perform makes it difficult to believe that most of them are still children.
The most unique part of the orchestra’s church performance came when eighteen-year-old Jay Greenberg stepped out to conduct the Adagio for String Orchestra, an original composition of his. It was refreshing to hear the work of such a young composer, which was just as rhythmically complex and harmonically rich as any other virtuoso composition. The piece adhered to the 20th century musical style, exploring the limits of dissonance, expressing harsh emotions, and playing with tonality. I actually had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Greenberg a few days before the performance, and was shocked to find out that he was my age. He is like the Mozart of the 21st century, having the ease and skill at composing like I have never seen on another person my age. The London Symphony Orchestra as well as the Pittsburg and Minnesota Orchestras have played Greenberg’s works, but the young Julliard-educated composer remains modest nevertheless.
No, the World Youth Alliance Chamber Orchestra isn’t any ordinary orchestra. In a time where rock and pop prevail among the younger crowds, this group has proved that classical and baroque music still thrives. The unmistakable talent of these youth is admirable as much as it is inspiring. They are headed for great places, and I will not be surprised to see more Jay Greenbergs emerge from the group.
Nice Review