Home  |  About Us  |  Personnel  |  Reviews  |  Awards  |  Recordings   |  Contact

Reviews  -  Catherine Nelson, The Strad In November 2003, The New Professionals Orchestra performed on the South Bank Centre's FRESH series at the Purcell Room. 'Imaginative programming and some really inspirational performances marked a concert on 13th November at the Purcell Room by The New Professionals - an impressive bunch. In Mozart's Symphony No. 29, the clean lines and note-perfect articulation were balanced by a wonderful immediacy and warmth to the group'scollective sound. Strauss's incredible and all-too-rarely heard Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings provided stark contrast. Under the astute and sensitive direction of conductor Rebecca Miller, this vividly detailed work, with its velvety, swirling textures, was mesmerising. Exquisite playing from all 23 of thestring soloists provided many wonderful soloistic moments: leader Madeleine and cellist Oliver Coates were outstanding. A pared-down version of Copland's Appalachian Spring - in its original version for 13 instruments - brought transparent textures. Then Easton came to the fore again for Piazzolla's Cuatro Estaciones Portenas in an arrangement by Leonid Desyatnikov. She hit just the right air of sultry teasing in her song-like melodies, over brilliantly pungent phrases from the orchestra, and her virtuosity in the cadenza-like dance at the end was dazzling. Definitely an ensemble to look out for.' Catherine Nelson, The Strad

©2005 NewProfessionals.co.uk