Beethoven Festival Near Sellout

When Maestro Arie Lipsky took the stage Saturday night, there were very few seats that were empty. At the end of the concert, every seat was empty... for a standing ovation.

The Beethoven Festival Concert started off with the Coriolan Overture, full of emotion and drama. The high-point of the concert was the Violin Concerto with guest soloist Ilya Kaler. Mr. Kaler took the stage with a $1.5 million Guarnerius violin on loan from the Stradavari Society of Chicago. WOW! Can he play the violin. Beethoven has never sounded better. It is obvious that Ilya Kaler is the only violin solist to win all three major competitions.

The audience even applauded (rightly s0) after the first movement. He was that good.

The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra ended the concert with Symphony No. 4. Someone once said that if it wasn't for Beethoven's 3rd and 5th symphonys, the 4th would have been considered a masterpiece.

It was a masterpiece on Saturday.

The next concert, Serenade For Strings is on October 17th at 8:00 PM in the Michigan Theater. It will feature the up-and-coming cellist David Requiro. Maestro Lipsky calls him "the next Yo-Yo Ma. Mr. Requiro just took first place in the prestigous Naumberg Violincello contest and will play one of the most technically difficult cello solos ever written... Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 2.

Maestro Lipsky is really looking forward to working with the recent University of Michigan Masters graduate.

Dave