September 29, 2008 Letter V (The Virginia Classical Music Blog) reported on Dr. Smith's performance at the Alexander Paley Music Festival (Sept. 26-28): |
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"The heart of the program contrasted two trios with French horn: Johannes Brahms’ familiar Trio in E flat major, Op. 40, for piano, violin and horn, and Carl Reinecke’s obscure Trio, Op. 274, for piano, clarinet and horn. Horn player Patrick Smith, a member of the Virginia Commonwealth University music faculty, brought rich sonority and gratifying technical control to both pieces. Smith, Paley and violinist Kathy Judd made especially fine work of the Brahms, maintaining balance (always tricky in Brahms’ chamber music with piano, especially so with this combination of instruments) and playing expressively without dragging and, in the scherzo and finale, with real playfulness – a relatively rare commodity in Brahms, but one that needs to be fully exploited when it arises. Judd performed with refinement and assertiveness, notably in the instrument’s lower register, and Paley reined in the piano without underplaying." |
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May 27, 2008 **** Fall Ensemble placement audition information now available. Repertoire and dates available here. **** |
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May 26, 2008 VCU Symphonic Wind Ensemble performance at Carnegie Hall The VCU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Terry Austin, made their Carnegie Hall debut on March 18, 2008 as a part of the New York Wind... (click to continue) |
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April 29, 2008 Masterclass collaboration with David Jolley and the North Carolina School of the Arts This year marked the first soon-to-be annual masterclass collaboration between the horn studios of VCU and North Carolina School of the Arts. On February... (click to continue) |