The somber strings of a violin vibrate enchantingly, the delicate plink of the keys of a piano resonate indelibly.
These beautiful sounds filled the Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre at Cuyamaca College courtesy of violinist Cindy Wu and pianist Orion Weiss who were performing the sonatas of Mozart as part of the East County Harmonics Organization (ECHO) series of concerts.
The series seeks to bring internationally acclaimed classical musicians to perform at the college, and Wu and Weiss are two of the best.
The somber strings of a violin vibrate enchantingly, the delicate plink of the keys of a piano resonate indelibly.
These beautiful sounds filled the Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre at Cuyamaca College courtesy of violinist Cindy Wu and pianist Orion Weiss who were performing the sonatas of Mozart as part of the East County Harmonics Organization (ECHO) series of concerts.
The series seeks to bring internationally acclaimed classical musicians to perform at the college, and Wu and Weiss are two of the best.
Wu has had a successful international career as a soloist, chamber musician and educator, performing with such esteemed ensembles as the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, and the Odessa Philharmonic, among many others.
Weiss, a Julliard alumnus, has performed with the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony and the New York Philharmonic, and has had an acclaimed career as a soloist.
The concert consisted of a group of Sonatas composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with both musicians performing beautifully.
Weiss was superb, making every note perfect. As he played he would rock to and fro, lost in the music, and his zeal for the material was infectious.
His skills particularly shined in the performance of “Sonata for Piano and Violin in G Major, K. 379,” which saw him play intricate and complicated notes with ease.
Wu was phenomenal as well. Not only did she hit a technical high score, she also made the violin sing with emotion.
For every allegro the instrument seemed to jump and sing with joy, and in every somber section it seemed to wail and cry. Such is the power of her performance.
Other highlights of the night included the compelling “Six Variations on “Hélas, j’ai perdu mon amant” K. 360” and the awesome “Sonata for Piano and Violin in E-flat Major, K. 481” that closed out the show to thunderous applause.
Wu and Weiss will return to the Samuel M. Ciccati Theatre on May 22, 2019 to perform the remaining Mozart sonatas and anyone who enjoys classical music should attend.
Upcoming concerts in the ECHO series include Jessie Chang and the principals from the San Diego Symphony on Nov. 9, 2018, Quicksilver Baroque on Jan. 6, 2019, Piano Viola Recital – Reiko Uchida and Brian Chen on Jan. 29, and many more.
Visit their website at echochambermusic.org to learn more about the organization and see further performance listings.
