by Daniel Hathaway
This article was originally published on Cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Untenured conductors can rejoice in rave reviews for their work with orchestras, but by far the sincerest of accolades they can receive is simply to be invited back for more.
On Friday, November 21, James Feddeck, who served as the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra’s music director for four seasons from 2009-2013 (the side gig that came with his job as assistant conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra), made a triumphant return to Severance Music Center to lead the junior ensemble in super-sonorous performances of music by Sergei Prokofiev and César Franck.
In a preview interview, Feddeck said he chose to make his own suite of music from Prokofiev’s ballet score Romeo and Juliet because “there is literally something colorful and virtuosic for every section of the orchestra to play.”
And while the Prokofiev is a great exploration of rhythm, Franck’s Symphony in d minor is a beautiful exploration of sound.
Thursday’s program was clearly designed to continue the upward growth of an ensemble whose institutional memory is always at the mercy of personnel turnovers.
Mission accomplished. The young musicians coalesced into a vibrant unit that responded instantly to Feddeck’s broad or nuanced gestures and filled Mandel Concert Hall with handsome tone.
Feddeck chose his own suite of seven movements from Prokofiev’s full-evening ballet score, and there were many highlights.
The well-balanced, big bang opening by the brass was well balanced and answered by nicely-blended string chords. Biting accents, pointed trills, and a commanding trumpet solo distinguished the ensuing march.
COYO produced a huge sound for the “Montagues and Capulets.” The gorgeous slow section featured fine flute section solos followed by lush strings and clarinet solos.
Later in “Scene,” pointed solos by bassoonist Angie Stump and concertmaster Harris Wang followed, and a colorful bass clarinet solo joined the low strings in the same register.
Prokofiev’s music for the seventh episode foretold tragedy amid a trumpet solo by Connor York, horns that nailed their high notes, and a prominent bass drum. Amazing first violin section playing and a few bare notes from the contrabassoon preceded the final, beautifully balanced chord.
After intermission, Franck’s Symphony in d demonstrated the technique of thematic transformation the composer learned from Franz Liszt — the use of a family of related themes that change subtly with each repetition — and explored the dark side of the tonal spectrum from the outset in well-blended low strings.
Fine transitions, musical lines with clear destinations, and splendid solos by hornist Ej Thomas, oboist Andrew Kelly, and flutist Aryaman Sigdel graced the first movement in which Feddeck drew wide dynamic contrasts from the ensemble and built up walls of sound brick by brick.
The gentle pizzicati that began the slow movement led to a breathtaking English horn solo by Emily Petrella, and in the thickly-scored finale, Feddeck brought out the symphony’s many transformed themes, creating an ending that was simply stunning.
The enthusiastic audience rewarded Feddeck and COYO with a resounding ovation.
Published on ClevelandClassical.com November 25, 2025
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