Review: Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra connects and celebrates

19 Nov Review: Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra connects and celebrates

Saturday evening’s Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra concert might have been the best yet this season. The hour-long program featured diverse musical styles—classical, jazz, rock—in a celebration of music-as-dance. And there was dance, as UE Mad Hot Ballroom Dancers swirled on the Victory stage to the sexy “Libertango” played by woodwind quintet. But truly, all compositions on the program reflected the electricity of togetherness and the wonderful possibilities of ensemble.

Conductor Roger Kalia had his hands full in “Go Big or Go Home,” the brief but sizzling work by contemporary composer Jessica Meyer. In the midst of a flurry of string playing, a rock band blasts its way into the mix; the piece ends with all performers joining in an exclamatory whoop of joy. The following composition, Polish composer Woyciech Kilar’s “Orawa,” concludes in the same jubilant manner. After a brief musical theme introduces the work and is repeated, the texture increases, and the tempo surges until there is a full, breathless stop and a confirming cadence. Despite the musical motion, there was time for a lovely cello solo about midway through the pulsating piece.

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