09/21 - Andreas Conducts Beethoven's Eroica

Ever since I moved to Rochester, New York in 2022 to pursue my MD/PhD degrees at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, I had the privilege of frequently attending RPO concerts. Their concerts, situated in the historic Kodak Hall of the Eastman Theatre, provide quality performances in a city that is mediocre in size and population. Since 2022, I have noticed that Maestro Delfs has shown his strong passion and inclination towards Beethoven's symphonies as he began his first concert of the 2022-2023 season with Beethoven's 5th Symphony. As expected, the first concert of the 2023-2024 season, which is their Centennial Season, included Beethoven's famous 3rd symphony, thereby, almost confirming Maestro Delfs's fondness for the composer. However, Alisa Weilerstein's Elgar Cello Concerto was what made me look forward to the opening concert.

As I entered the Kodak Hall, the attendance was far greater than the normal Thursday concerts, which made sense as it was the opening concert of the season. RPO on the stage showed many changes compared to the previous season, especially within the violin and brass sections, with more presence of younger musicians in the orchestra. However, as usual, concertmaster Juliana Athayde marched with strength to prepare the orchestra and Maestro Delfs came out with enthusiasm to his podium to start the concert. 

The first piece, Wild Sky by Kernis, was honestly a piece with the least of my expectations for the night. However, the bright and