The New York Times
Friday, March 4, 2005
Classical Music and Dance Guide
New York Youth Symphony
by Anthony Tommasini

One of the best ways to reconnect with the adventure and excitement of works that have long been repertory staples is to hear them performed by eager and unjaded young musicians who are truly thrilled to be playing them. This always happens at the concerts by the excellent, highly skilled, and hard working New York Youth Symphony. So you expect Sunday afternoon’s performances of two Tchaikovsky war horses, the Fifth Symphony and the Piano Concerto No. 1, conducted by Paul Haas, to be deeply rewarding. The soloist in the concerto is the brilliant Italian pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi, winner of the Silver Medal at the 2001 Van Cliburn Competition. The orchestra also assures adventure by playing the premiere of a short work by a young composer at every concert. Sunday’s offering is “The Nostalgia of the Infinite” by Thomas Osborne.