Concert of the summer? For Mark, it was LG Music Fest Finale

The Lake George Music Festival climaxed its two-week run with a concert on Thursday, August 24th, at Lake George High School that will resonate in the minds of the hundreds of us who were there.  Bravos! were shouted in waves as the audience stood, jubilant, applauding at length.  

 

This was talent and potential fully realized.  The Lake George Music Festival, launched seven years ago by young classical musicians, brings to town highly skilled, highly motivated friends to make great, interesting music and have fun. 

 

There were two works on this program.  The first was a world premiere, the “Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra,” by Sheridan Seyfried, a 32-year old who was in attendance.  

 

Not only was the Festival Orchestra playing something new, it brought it into existence by commissioning Mr. Seyfried to compose it.  Benefactors Charles and Judith Freyer financed his work as well as the festival residency of the two brothers, Nikki and Timothy Chooi, who were the premiere’s soloists on violin.  

 

Mr. Seyfried has written a new piece of classical music that is approachable, beautiful, surprising (it has elements of a hoe-down in one section) and delightful.  

 

The Chooi brothers and the entire orchestra, under conductor Roger Kalia, one of the festival’s three leaders, were all fantastic, clearly caught up in the moment and launching it and us into a musical bliss.  

 

At intermission a man near me remarked that the other work on the program, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, might have trouble keeping up.  

 

No worry.  The orchestra’s relaxed but serious musicianship sent the Beethoven soaring just as they had the Seyfried.  

 

It’s hard to imagine any orchestra anywhere playing Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony better than they played it that night.  

 

This festival has a limitless horizon.