Student Soloist and Guest Conductor Interviewed on Severance Hall Performance

Once conductor Kimbo Ishii arrived in Cleveland, he and Cleveland Institute of Music student Leah Ferguson got to work, preparing for their November concert at Severance Hall, home of The Cleveland Orchestra.  Ishii was to conduct the CIM Orchestra while Ferguson would be the soloist on Bartók’s Viola Concerto. In the rehearsals, Ishii made sure he had an understanding of what Ferguson wanted to achieve, musically “I’ve done this piece various times with different soloists,” says Ishii.  “I am really fortunate to have someone like this to work with.” Hear more about their collaboration on WCLV 104.9 FM.

On the night of the performance, the stage of Severance Hall was filled with the CIM Orchestra, which opened with Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, and ended with Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra. Ferguson, who told WCLV host Angela Mitchell that she has been playing the Bartók concerto since she was 15, performed the Tibor Serly edition of the piece.

This concert was second in this season’s series of five total CIM Orchestra performances in the magnificent Severance Hall.