An intense and emotional evening of music making from a fine youth orchestra.

Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium of Music
March 19, 2016

One of the most satisfying musical experiences is going to hear an orchestra that one used to perform in and finding it in better shape. This was the case when I returned to hear the Sydney Youth Orchestra at Verbrugghen Hall perform two titanic works of Romanticism: Brahms’ Piano Concerto No 1, Op. 15 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 5, Op. 64. Billed “Intensity of Emotion”, the orchestra’s performance, under the directorship of Alexander Briger, was certainly intense and emotional, and demonstrated one thing: the next batch of Australian musicians are supremely talented.

Brahms occupied the first half, with Simon Tedeschi at the piano. After every performance I have seen of Tedeschi it feels like a tornado has hit the building, such is the muscular and indefatigable force with which he attacks the piano. He nearly lifted the roof off the NSW Art Gallery in January with his performance of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. He also carries an unparalleled machismo that oozes into his playing: he less walks onto the stage than bounds, and he never bows past...