Copland, Shostakovich & Strauss

New World Symphony

Miami, FL

"An ambitious multi-media Veterans Day concert by the New World Symphony featured the debut of a highly gifted conductor and an admirably chosen program. Lidiya Yankovskaya was on the podium and proved a commanding presence, inspiring tight ensemble and high precision. For Copland’s iconic Fanfare for the Common Man, she had the brass stand when playing. Their accuracy and unity achieved the proper sense of solemn eloquence.

Yankovskaya drew rhythmic snap and brisk execution across all sections, astutely making the case for Haas’ engaging score of the the Sinfonie for Large Orchestra. Her reading of the ‘Allegro ma non troppo’ finale from Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 was a stunner. In Yankovskaya’s whirlwind reading, the slow episodes were rendered with depth of feeling, probing something deeper beneath the surface celebratory mood. The final crescendo was developed in gradual layers, the climax conveyed with maximum effectiveness. In the valedictory ‘Im Abendrot’ Yankovskaya fired up the players to full bodied sonic luxuriance, reflecting her vast experience conducting for voices in opera.”
–South Florida Classical Review