Stars in the Sky
The sky over San Jose tonight was clear and calm.
In San Jose's Hammer Theatre, Maestro Pontzious brought to a close the evening's musical interlude with Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major. Our musicians on stage played in harmony with vitality and versatility. The hall's plush green velvet-holstered chairs were filled; those seated were captivated. An exuberant standing ovation rose across the hall, triggering smiles of joy and pride among us all.
The venue selected for AYO's opening concert in the U.S. for this tour was San Jose State University, Mr. Pontzious' alma mater. Hammer Theatre, affiliated with the university, is located in the heart of the city which is about an hour away from San Francisco. The chairman of the AYO board of directors, Mr. Jim Thompson, is also a San Jose State alumnus. What a pleasure it was to see him in the audience this special evening.
The concert opened with a tingling performance of Stauss' Don Juan. This was followed by a showing of In Search of Perfect Consonance, a documentary that filmmaker Ruby Yang had directed, putting the spotlight on the AYO. We loved seeing you in the audience, Ms. Yang.
Of special significance was the audience's response to the orchestra's performance today. After all, this is the kickoff to our World Tour's U.S. segment that will be eight days long. Four more concerts are scheduled in the U.S., taking the 100-plus orchestra across the East to West Coast.
Tonight's concert was a special one in yet another way. It was a performance dedicated to Mr. Pontzious' mother.
From the bus windows on the way back to our hotel, we saw some stars at a distance far above. May those who we love and miss so much keep watching over us from above in the sky, and may they smile down on us as we play the music we love.
The venue selected for AYO's opening concert in the U.S. for this tour was San Jose State University, Mr. Pontzious' alma mater. Hammer Theatre, affiliated with the university, is located in the heart of the city which is about an hour away from San Francisco. The chairman of the AYO board of directors, Mr. Jim Thompson, is also a San Jose State alumnus. What a pleasure it was to see him in the audience this special evening.
Tonight's concert was a special one in yet another way. It was a performance dedicated to Mr. Pontzious' mother.
From the bus windows on the way back to our hotel, we saw some stars at a distance far above. May those who we love and miss so much keep watching over us from above in the sky, and may they smile down on us as we play the music we love.
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