EAST ANGLIA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA at WEST ROAD CONCERT HALL

By Eve Waldron

by Bill Hiskett as are all images

Conductor Dominic Grieve

 What a wonderful way to spend the evening -  at West Road Concert Hall being embraced by classical music in a soothing and restorative environment.

The East Anglia Chamber Orchestra (EAChO), led by guest conductor Dominic Grier, delivered a programme of well loved pieces with tangible tingle. Dominic Grier, is a young conductor with power and persuasion and a formidable track record. The evening began with Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony, a work that demands precision and at times pacey playing. The EAChO met these demands with exhilarating aplomb and, navigatied the music with a light, crisp touch that perfectly captured Prokofiev’s virtuosity.

 The highlight of the first half, was Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major. The Japanese born soloist, Anna Hashimoto, captivated us all with her magical technique and conviction. Raised in a household where music was all around her - her mother a pianist and her father a violinist - Hashimoto famously ran home from school one day to exclaim "I met people who don't play an instrument!". This lifelong passion and immersion was evident tonight.

A graduate of the Royal College of Music, Junior Department, The Purcell School and the Royal Academy of Music, where she studied under Michael Collins, Hashimoto has been a professional player since her London concerto debut at age 15 with the English Chamber Orchestra. Performing on the basset clarinet, her tone was  luminous, particularly in the lower register, which added a rich, velvety depth to the Adagio. Her technical facility was perfect, but it was the seamless dialogue with the orchestra - honed by years of high-level chamber music with her own Atéa Quintet - that truly made the performance soar.

After the interval, we heard Clementi’s Overture in D Major. The evening finished with another Mozart favourite the "Jupiter" Symphony. Grier handled the complexities of this forthright piece with impressive leadership, ensuring that the best of the orchestra shone forth and the evening ended with gusto.

 West Road is a wonderful venue -  spacious, modern with comfortable seats, unobstructed viewing and perfect acoustics. The audience was thrilled and demonstrably appreciative of this well loved music. A triumphant return for EAChO, and a highlight of the spring season. Thank you for a wonderful evening which enriched the soul.

Anna Hashimoto