From left: Maxwell Herrmann and Malina Nelson play violin with Billy Holtz on the viola and Jacob Levy on the cello.
As a part of the Arlington Philharmonic’s “Music in Your Home” initiative, Crescendo, its youth chamber music program, presented a concert at The Jefferson senior retirement residence on Sunday afternoon, April 2. The initiative brings live classical music to seniors and others who may not be able to attend concerts in traditional venues.
The three quartets and one trio performed selections by Beethoven and Mendelssohn, for the standing room only audience. At the conclusion of the concert, all 15 musicians performed several selections by award-winning composer John Williams. Following the concert the musicians, their families, and the audience members mingled at a casual reception.
Artistic Director Elizabeth O’Hara Stahr said, “They played very challenging repertoire and I was so pleased with how musically engaged each musician was.” Chamber ensembles do not have a conductor, so the musicians need to pay attention to one another while reading their music at the same time. “I saw the musicians use movement, eye contact, and gestures to communicate with each other and it was very dynamic,” O’Hara Stahr said.
The 15 musicians who make up Crescendo are in grades 7 through 12 and they attend 10 different middle and high schools in the area. Rehearsals, coached by professional Artists-In-Residence, include master classes with guest musicians and are held weekly. The next Crescendo concert will be held on Sunday, June 11 at 4 p.m. at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theater.