In 1988, the University of Maryland began the National Orchestral Institute. This month-long event is a venue for the country's most talented young orchestral students to study, practice, learn and perform. Participating in the Institute requires a rigorous audition. During the month of June, performances take place and The Institute culminates in a week-long series of events and concerts. The concert I attended Wednesday evening featured musicians from the Havana Lyceum Orchestra, beginning with a brief discussion from some of the members discussing their trip to the United States.
The Havana Lyceum Orchestra "represents Cuba's most talented orchestral musicians." Their performance only underscored that statement. They performed Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 23 in A major, K.488, featuring pianist Simone Dinnerstein. T'was heavenly. Just plain heavenly. They also performed Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture. And a Cuban piece ( sorry, not sure what it's named) that was fun, playful and delightful. You can hear/see a bit of it on this YouTube video here.
From the program notes: "This program is all about the joy of friendship and the possibility of communication between cultures and across time." It was that indeed!
Visit the NOI website for more information and especially a few photos...since cameras are not "quite" allowed...Happy to share a bit of "heavenly music."
Cheers~