J. Nakamatsu, S. Rachmaninoff and M. Klein Create Magic
The sparkling sounds of music at the Heritage Theater filled the friendly town of Campbell as the amazing virtuoso pianist Jon Nakamatsu, the Gold Medal winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano competition, together with the outstanding Peninsula Symphony under the masterful baton of Maestro Mitchell Sardou Klein generated a thunderous standing ovation (no, it was not an earthquake!) followed by a prolonged and raving wave of applause for their phenomenal performance.
Nakamatsu’s melodic, vibrant, exuberant and beautiful interpretation of Sergey Rachmaninoff’s stunning Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 was absolutely mesmerizing!!! And never sounded better! Bravo Jon and the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra! It was truly a remarkable afternoon!
After this memorable concert I had a chance to personally congratulate and thank soloist Jon Nakamatsu ((how lucky can I get?) for enriching our cultural life in the heart of Silicon Valley. “Jon Nakamatsu plays with the calm assurance that comes of having both a solid technique and a gentle, introspective, interpretive spirit” – The New York Times
With only 25 min. drive from my home to the intimate Heritage Theater known for presenting various concerts and performances.. (and with plenty of free parking!) who needs to travel halfway across the world in search of Music Theatres in Rome, London, Tel Aviv, Prague, Paris or Vienna? Well… maybe Venice, Italy, my absolutely favorite city in the world… Or Florence, Italy where Hershey Felder, a frequent visitor and performer at the Center for the Performing Arts in Mountain View, CA, and who is an extremely gifted American writer, composer, pianist and professor who currently lives in Florence where he stages uniquely fascinating plays in his newly established theatre.
“Bravo Jon and Thank You! Maybe I will see you again in May at the Annual Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Texas where you serve as the distinguished judge in hope to crown the future “Jon Nakamatsu!!”
For more information on the performances presented by the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra visit Peninsulasymphony.org
By Lina Broydo
