National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain performs City Scenes

The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, under conductor Alexandre Bloch, kicked off their Shimmer tour—a program which includes City Scenes—with a performance at the Barbican Center on January 5th. Concerts in Warwick Centre (January 6) and Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (January 7th) will follow. Reviewers from The Guardian, Times and Telegraph tripped over themselves to compare the music to dead composers they have ready notions about (America + Orchestra + Jazz = Bernstein!). UPDATE more reviews: reviewsgate.com and A Young(ish) Perspective.

“The Bernstein-brash, neon blare of Karim Al-Zand’s 2006 City Scenes introduced new swagger, a cheeky little phrase hopping around the orchestra like a sonic Artful Dodger, and strings and harps a gleaming foil to streetwise brass and woodwind.”
The Guardian

photo by Chris Christodoulou

“…urban, Bernstein-ish sound of City Scenes, by Tunisian-born American composer Karim Al-Zand was a breeze, and the delicately “wrong-note” solos from a handful of violins in the dreamy slow movement had a deliciously louche quality.”
The Telegraph

…with plenty of chewy textures for the players — and some nifty solo work slickly delivered by the orchestra’s leader Aki Blendis — and driven rhythms that have a hint of Shostakovich, but a Shostakovich who has been airlifted from Moscow and taken to Miami for a weekend.
The Times of London