Pamela Frank

The subtitle for Samuel Richardson's novel "Pamela" is "Virtue Rewarded." It thus cannot be an easy name to live up to, but Pamela Frank did so last night in Meyerhoff Hall when she played Dvorak's Violin Concerto in A Minor with David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.She is a wonderful player -- one of the very best of our time, I think -- and she gave as fine a performance of this piece as anyone is likely to hear for a long time.The virtue that is rewarded in this preternaturally mature young violinist -- she is only 24 -- is her open-heartedness, an emotional generosity that suffuses every note of her playing.

The Peabody Conservatory of Music will gain some extra star power in September when violinist Pamela Frank joins the faculty. A graduate of the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Frank emerged in the 1990s as one of the most gifted violinists on the international scene, welcomed for the warmth of her tone, the sureness of her technique and the sensitivity of her interpretations. Recipient of the high-profile Avery Fisher Prize in 1999, Frank has appeared with leading orchestras and given recitals (many of them with her father, esteemed pianist Claude Frank)

Pamela Frank does not expect to tire of playing Mozart."Never!" says the young violinist, who will perform Mozart's Concerto No. 4 with David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony Saturday in Meyerhoff Hall in the orchestra's Summerfest Series."

HIROSHIMA, Japan - There is no escaping the history of this place, especially for visitors, like the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, staying in a hotel just about at the epicenter of the blast that began the atomic age with such ferocity. But there's also no mistaking the city's vitality and openness today. The BSO musicians, midway through their third tour of Japan since 1994, have been taking in that past and present with equal appreciation. They had a free day on Monday and much of yesterday on their own. During this break from the musical action, many of the players visited the Peace Memorial Park, where the history of the bomb that forever changed the world is preserved in sobering detail.

The Peabody Conservatory of Music will gain some extra star power in September when violinist Pamela Frank joins the faculty. A graduate of the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Frank emerged in the 1990s as one of the most gifted violinists on the international scene, welcomed for the warmth of her tone, the sureness of her technique and the sensitivity of her interpretations. Recipient of the high-profile Avery Fisher Prize in 1999, Frank has appeared with leading orchestras and given recitals (many of them with her father, esteemed pianist Claude Frank)

There's an unmistakable Russian tint to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's 2002-2003 season -- 17 works by 11 Russian composers. But that's only part of the picture. Also providing color is a welcome sampling of pieces by contemporary composers, along with works by rather infrequently encountered masters of the past (more than a dozen pieces will get their first BSO performances). Putting the finishing touches on the season, as usual, will be lots of meat-and-potatoes music. The lineup lacks the extra excitement that, say, a world premiere can provide, but it has distinct strengths.

Last year Pamela Frank stepped in at the last moment to substitute for another violinist to play Brahms' Double Concerto with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Baltimore Symphony.How did she feel about performing alongside the world's most famous cellist for the first time?"Not nervous at all," says Frank, who will perform Beethoven's Two Romances for Violin and Orchestra with the BSO and music director David Zinman tomorrow. "He's known me longer than I can remember -- most people have."The 24-year-old violinist is not exaggerating -- she has known justabout every important American instrumentalist since before she was able to walk.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is serving up a filling meat-and-potatoes meal this week - two repertoire staples by Beethoven and Brahms. Although a little spice on the menu would be nice (both pieces are even in the same key, D major), there's nothing stale in the presentation. The first performance on Thursday evening at Meyerhoff Hall found Yuri Temirkanov delivering his distinctive brand of rapt music-making - no note taken for granted, a deeply expressive character throughout. Where other conductors might be inclined to differentiate between the two composers on the program, Temirkanov treated them as basically cut from the same, rich, romantic cloth.

Yuri Temirkanov walked out to the podium last night at the beginning of his concert with the Baltimore Symphony in Meyerhoff Hall to unusually warm applause. He was pleased by his reception, acknowledged it graciously, but then quickly turned around to face the orchestra. Temirkanov, the BSO's music director-designate, was there to make music.In his program of Berlioz (the overture to "Beatrice et Benedict"), Barber (the violin concerto with Pamela Frank as soloist) and Beethoven (the Seventh Symphony)

Beethoven's Romances for Violin and Orchestra are subdued pieces -- scarcely the works in which one expects a violinist to make an enormous impression. But that is precisely what Pamela Frank did last night when she played the Romances with David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony in Meyerhoff Hall. The playing was affectingly big-hearted, perpetually singing and unobtrusively elegant. Hers were performances that found heretofore unrealized depths in these pieces without violating their slight compass.

There's an unmistakable Russian tint to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's 2002-2003 season -- 17 works by 11 Russian composers. But that's only part of the picture. Also providing color is a welcome sampling of pieces by contemporary composers, along with works by rather infrequently encountered masters of the past (more than a dozen pieces will get their first BSO performances). Putting the finishing touches on the season, as usual, will be lots of meat-and-potatoes music. The lineup lacks the extra excitement that, say, a world premiere can provide, but it has distinct strengths.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is serving up a filling meat-and-potatoes meal this week - two repertoire staples by Beethoven and Brahms. Although a little spice on the menu would be nice (both pieces are even in the same key, D major), there's nothing stale in the presentation. The first performance on Thursday evening at Meyerhoff Hall found Yuri Temirkanov delivering his distinctive brand of rapt music-making - no note taken for granted, a deeply expressive character throughout. Where other conductors might be inclined to differentiate between the two composers on the program, Temirkanov treated them as basically cut from the same, rich, romantic cloth.

It took only half a season for Yuri Temirkanov to make a powerful and positive impression as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. What he accomplishes next, during his first full season, promises to be even more striking. Although Temirkanov, who conducted last night's annual gala concert, won't be on the podium again until late October, his influence will be felt from this week's official opening of the 2000-2001 season right through to June. "He's already changed the string sound," says trumpeter Langston J. Fitzgerald III. "And he's a very encouraging conductor.

Yuri Temirkanov walked out to the podium last night at the beginning of his concert with the Baltimore Symphony in Meyerhoff Hall to unusually warm applause. He was pleased by his reception, acknowledged it graciously, but then quickly turned around to face the orchestra. Temirkanov, the BSO's music director-designate, was there to make music.In his program of Berlioz (the overture to "Beatrice et Benedict"), Barber (the violin concerto with Pamela Frank as soloist) and Beethoven (the Seventh Symphony)

It's not unusual for an important soloist to contribute his services free of charge to an important orchestra's pension fund concert. But it's remarkable when three star soloists show up, each to play a single concerted work and then join forces after intermission to perform a piece of music as unglamorous as Beethoven's Concerto in C Major for violin, cello and piano.But last night's pension fund concert for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra was not an ordinary occasion -- and that is why three celebrated soloists (cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Emanuel Ax and violinist Pamela Frank)

The Baltimore Symphony last week announced a "Grand Celebration" concert to commemorate the 10-year partnership between the orchestra and music director David Zinman.Appearing with the orchestra for the concert -- to be held at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Meyerhoff -- will be pianist Leon Fleisher, violinists Pamela Frank, Cho-Liang Lin, Elmar Oliveira and BSO concertmaster Herbert Greenberg. Members of the BSO will also perform musical vignettes.Tickets are on sale now, and proceeds will benefit the Baltimore Symphony Musicians' Pension Fund.

It took only half a season for Yuri Temirkanov to make a powerful and positive impression as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. What he accomplishes next, during his first full season, promises to be even more striking. Although Temirkanov, who conducted last night's annual gala concert, won't be on the podium again until late October, his influence will be felt from this week's official opening of the 2000-2001 season right through to June. "He's already changed the string sound," says trumpeter Langston J. Fitzgerald III. "And he's a very encouraging conductor.

HIROSHIMA, Japan - There is no escaping the history of this place, especially for visitors, like the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, staying in a hotel just about at the epicenter of the blast that began the atomic age with such ferocity. But there's also no mistaking the city's vitality and openness today. The BSO musicians, midway through their third tour of Japan since 1994, have been taking in that past and present with equal appreciation. They had a free day on Monday and much of yesterday on their own. During this break from the musical action, many of the players visited the Peace Memorial Park, where the history of the bomb that forever changed the world is preserved in sobering detail.

Pamela Frank does not expect to tire of playing Mozart."Never!" says the young violinist, who will perform Mozart's Concerto No. 4 with David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony Saturday in Meyerhoff Hall in the orchestra's Summerfest Series."

The subtitle for Samuel Richardson's novel "Pamela" is "Virtue Rewarded." It thus cannot be an easy name to live up to, but Pamela Frank did so last night in Meyerhoff Hall when she played Dvorak's Violin Concerto in A Minor with David Zinman and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.She is a wonderful player -- one of the very best of our time, I think -- and she gave as fine a performance of this piece as anyone is likely to hear for a long time.The virtue that is rewarded in this preternaturally mature young violinist -- she is only 24 -- is her open-heartedness, an emotional generosity that suffuses every note of her playing.