The BSO begins the 2024-2025 season with Concert for the City
Mayor Michelle Wu plays Rhapsody in Blue on the piano
Photo Courtesy of Robert Torres
Concert for the City
Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops
Conducted by Andris Nelsons and Keith Lockhart
Featuring Mayor Michelle Wu on piano
Symphony Hall
Sept. 21, 2024
On September 21, a drizzly, wet Saturday afternoon, the warm glow of Symphony Hall beckoned concert goers to attend Concert for the City, a sold-out event for the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Opening Weekend. This year’s free concert featured a guest piano soloist, Boston’s Mayor Michelle Wu in George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. In her opening remarks, Mayor Wu lightheartedly referenced herself in emphasizing that “the arts are a place for everyone, even a pregnant mayor.”
The first performance was from the Boston Children’s Chorus, whose programs include 11 after-school choirs with singers from 110 different zip codes around the Boston area. Under the guidance of music director Kenneth Griffin, the chorus bopped their heads, swung their arms, and swayed their bodies to the cadence of the music. By moving with the music and melding their harmonious voices together, the chorus created a refreshing opening to the program.
In the next performance, musicians from the Boston Festival Orchestra presented a special composition honoring local abolitionist Harriet Hayden. Vocalist Farayi Malek delivered a powerful performance: her strong voice simmered with broiling emotions, supported by the artistry of Alyssa Wang on violin, Aron Zelkowicz on cello, and Ruoting Li on piano. Together, their performance embodied the spirit of the abolitionist’s legacy, seamlessly blending passion and poise to evoke a profound sense of both struggle and hope.
Before the intermission period, Veronica Robles and Her Mariachi Ensemble — the first and only all-women mariachi group in New England — took to the stage with a vibrant and striking performance, filling the concert hall with electrifying energy. According to Robles, the word “mariachi” comes from the Coca language of a pre-Columbian Mexican indigenous tribe and means “freedom played on wood.” Robles’ performance radiated with freedom, her falsetto trills hinting at the playful spirit of the music. She invited the audience to join in by clapping their hands to the beat of the music.
After intermission, the latter half of the concert featured the BSO and the Pops performing a well-curated selection of pieces from the Romantic Era to the 21st century. The first piece was Carlos Simon’s Festive Fanfare and Overture, a piece co-commissioned by the BSO and Carnegie Hall to celebrate conductor Andris Nelsons’ 10th anniversary as BSO Music Director. The opening brimmed with energy from the piercing ringing of the bells. This energy was present throughout the entire piece, with the intense tremolo from the strings ending the piece on an invigorating finale.
Following Simon’s intense and contemporary piece was the second movement (Allegro con grazia) from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6. The unusual time signature made the piece feel like a waltz filled with elegant twirls and spins. Likewise, the strings’ pizzicatos and woodwinds’ trills contributed to the piece’s dance-like quality; its lighthearted and playful nature evoked the sensation of falling in love.
After Tchaikovsky was Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres), an interesting piece with otherworldly sounds. The composition of the piece was eclectic; musical phrases echoed from time to time and the repetitive notes were like satellite sounds. The ending was fascinating for its sudden transition from the orchestra’s rich, varied sounds to only a few notes that quickly vanished into thin air.
Then came the performance that everyone was waiting for: Mayor Wu’s piano solo, Rhapsody in Blue, with the Boston Pops. She played the piano solo exquisitely, finely capturing jazz music’s swing rhythm and smoothly changing tempo ever so slightly. Her hands slid across the keys seamlessly, especially during the rapid ascending scales that came in succession. When she finished, the audience cheered wildly and many gave a standing ovation.
The concert ended with vocalist Renese King and the Tanglewood Festival Choir performing “America the Beautiful,” arranged by Rob Mathes. King’s voice was strong and sonorous, which complemented well with the choir’s high-pitched and ethereal sound. King’s gospel background was evident in her performance, as her delivery was rejuvenating and hopeful.
Overall, Concert for the City was a great success because of its vibrant and diverse music. The concert not only celebrated Boston’s rich multicultural music communities, but also music’s timeless quality despite coming from different musical eras. It was the first concert I have ever attended, but I definitely will be returning back for more.