Violinist Hina Khuong-Huu and pianist Lindsay Garritson captivated their audience at a Violin Virtuosity Benefit Concert at the Orchid Island Beach Club to support the Atlantic Classical Orchestra, hosted by the Vero Friends of the ACO.
“This year we celebrate Maestro Amado’s 10th anniversary with the ACO,” said Morse, referencing Music Director David Amado, stating that he brings his unique talents to the podium each and every concert.
Amado spoke about the Jan. 22 Masterworks I “Borrowed & Blue” concert, which featured Suites from “Three Penny Opera,” “Porgy and Bess” and Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Egyptian”); and the Feb. 12 Masterworks II “Into the Night” concert, with Mussorgsky/Korsakov “Night on Bald Mountain,” Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty” and Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto, featuring Khuong-Huu.
“It’s a pleasure and an honor to introduce two such wonderful and versatile musicians” said Amado, of Khuong-Huu and Garritson.
“I first heard Hina three years ago when she won the Oliveira competition [Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition] and it was astonishing; just a spectacular performance. I’m so glad that we’re able to welcome her back to Florida here and also on the stage with the ACO.”
Amado said he first met Garritson when she played in the St. Louis Youth Orchestra he conducted.
“So this has a wonderful sense of historical continuity for me. And it’s always a joy for me to be here. It’s a lovely, incredibly warm environment to make this beautiful music in. And to have people like Hina and Lindsay here, it all adds up to something very special,” said Amado.
Khuong-Huu introduced their opening piece, Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major, Op. 24, the fifth sonata he wrote for violin and piano, nicknamed the “Spring Sonata.”
“It is kind of the lightest and least dark and stormy of all of Beethoven’s violin sonatas. So I think there was some intention that he had to make it springy. It’s absolutely beautiful,” she said.
Introducing the Havanaise by French composer Saint-Saëns, she remarked on its primary rhythm, one played many times throughout the piece.
“Saint-Saëns actually claims that he was inspired to write this piece when he was in a hotel room and he was sitting in front of a fireplace and he heard the fire crackling. And it happened to be, I guess, in this Cuban habanera rhythm,” said Khuong-Huu.
“But it’s absolutely beautiful and it combines virtuosity with also a very, very beautiful melody, and it’s an absolute treat to get to play.”
Khuong-Huu next confided the “quite simple” process she employed to choose “Schön Rosmarin,” “Liebesfreud” and “La Gitana” out of violinist Fritz Kreisler’s “hundreds of very short and adorable, perfect pieces” to play.
“I go to my house, where I have a library full of them, I open a book up and I blindly turn the page once, twice and three times, and those are my very carefully considered pieces that I’ve selected for you,” Khuong-Huu said with a laugh.
Their last piece was “Caprice Basque” by Spanish violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate, who she said assuaged his homesickness by writing songs about the Basque region during his travels.
“He wrote a lot for violin and he kind of stretched the boundaries of what you can do on these four strings,” said Khuong-Huu.
“This one has a lot of virtuosity in it, especially in the second half, which I will do my best to attempt. It’s a lot of fun and it gets crazier and crazier as it goes on. It’s a really fun piece to play so I thought it would be a good way to end the program.”
Upcoming concerts include Masterworks III, “Town and Country,” March 12, and Masterworks IV, “Themes and Variations,” April 9, both at 7 p.m. at the Community Church of Vero Beach.
Upcoming Chamber Series concerts are “Melody and Counterpoint,” Feb. 15 and “Kaleidoscope of Expressions,” March 15, both 3 p.m. at the Vero Beach Museum of Art.
For more information, visit AtlanticClassicalOrchestra.com.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
