Philharmonic's all-Tchaikovsky program features 16-year-old phenom.

By George Warren - November 14, 2010

The Fresno Philharmonic has presented a number of sensational young musicians over the last few years, and they never disappoint. Maybe one doesn’t expect a lot, or maybe the energy and freshness of youth comes across so well that old music feels new. Whatever the case, 16-year-old violinist Chad Hoopes dazzled the audience at Saroyan Theatre Saturday with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Theodore Kuchar conducting.

The all-Tchaikovsky concert began with a work that the composer tried to destroy after receiving harsh criticism titled Fatum. Under the baton of Maestro Kuchar, the music unfolded very crisply, and the orchestra locked into the score. One can find several elements to criticize about the score but not the performance. Something clicked on this evening and the musicians sounded at the top of their game.

Chad Hoopes appeared on the stage, dropped his towel on the conductor’s riser, and signaled that he was ready. Kuchar lit up the orchestra, and the audience collectively moved to the edge of its seat as Hoopes closed his eyes and swayed to the beat, gathering his forces and feeling the rhythm.

Once he moved his instrument and bow into position, the roller coaster left the gate and the ride began. Immediately, one reacted to the energy of this musician. The young can be fearless with an instrument, and Hoopes charged ahead with no reservations. He has all of the technique to manage this work, leaving him with the luxury of playing how he feels. And it seems that he feels on top of the world.

There were fireworks throughout the first movement, and the cadenza, as one hopes, put Hoopes’ mastery of the instrument on display. But the second movement provided a platform for him to reach deeper into the expressive range of the violin. Here, he showed no lack of emotion. His playing swelled and receded with the orchestra, and one recalled that the young feel things as deeply as the old.

For some, the elegance and emotion of the second movement might be the pinnacle of music, but for others the speed of the third movement lifts the spirit and stimulates the imagination. How does a kid who has only played for a few years manage to make this look so easy, and fun? And thinking back to the first movement, how is it possible that this musician landed every double stop throughout the movement perfectly in tune, on time, and with superior tone?

This kind of experience only happens in live performance. One has to be in the moment, observing the soloist, conductor, and orchestra doing what seems impossible. The danger of error or bad tone or a broken string is ever-present at a concert, and the pulling together of all forces against the odds of perfection creates a dynamic that the whole audience can experience collectively.

After the thrill-ride Hoopes provided, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1, Op. 13 felt very comfortable for the listener. The orchestra appeared to have no trouble at all with most of this work, and the listener felt safe to lean back and relax. The only discomfort came in the fourth movement where the tempo flagged after the violas handed off the fugue subject to other sections. The sails emptied for about thirty seconds, and then Kuchar led the whole orchestra in a big accelerando and the ship got back on course. The musicians mustered all of their remaining energy and brought the symphony to a triumphant close.