Leonard Bernstein Award
Leonard Bernstein would certainly have appreciated this performance, since he always wanted to dissolve the boundaries between “serious” and “entertaining” music and, especially, to inspire young people to play music. This is exactly what Charles Yang does. The native Texan effortlessly switches between classical, pop, and crossover as he improvises, sings, and sometimes reaches for the electric violin. As this year's recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Award, he will certainly provide a taste of his violin skills, not to mention in the context of Korngold's sumptuous violin concerto, which radiates with the aroma of the Hollywood dream factory.
Charles Yang, Violin
Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra
Wayne Marshall, Conductor