by Mike Telin

Over the years, audiences have had the privilege of hearing many outstanding performances by winners of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra’s annual concerto competition. But on Sunday, February 20, the sizable crowd at Severance Music Center witnessed nothing short of musical magic during Dasara Beta’s brilliant performance of Alexander Arutiunian’s Trumpet Concerto.

Playing with an unblemished, focused sound, the Rocky River High School senior embodied the concerto’s musical intricacies, beautifully capturing the soul of the Armenian folk-inspired melodies. His instinctive sense of meter served him well during the work’s numerous complex rhythmic and technical passages. The slower, muted section was thoroughly romantic and the long cadenza totally thrilling. [Read more…]