Press Release
March 12, 2008
Surprises Galore at San Diego Chamber Music Concert

Concertgoers expecting to attend a typical classical music concert this week were surprised and, by most accounts, delighted by the performance of the San Diego Chamber Orchestra of their March concert, "Surprise Surprise!" Monday night at the Sherwood Auditorium in La Jolla and Tuesday night at the Del Mar Country Club in Rancho Santa Fe.

Very few audience members knew what a Theremin was prior to the concert, but there were smiles all around during intermission as they discussed their fascination with the instrument, played by the Orchestra's own Oboeist Scott Paulson who used his hands to control the air waves around the instrument, resulting in sounds often heard in sci-fi movies. The audience was treated to the world premiere of Linda Kernohan's "Concerto for Theremin," performed by the Orchestra and Mr. Paulson.

The Orchestra's Artistic Director and Conductor, Jung-Ho Pak, true to form, had even more surprises in store for the evening's guests. They learned that Beethoven had written several Irish songs, four of them sung by soprano Mary Ann Carr who was enthusiastically applauded for her wonderful Irish rendition of the songs.

Then there was the doctor in the audience who was called to the stage to describe a gallstone operation, followed by Baroque composer Marin Marais' haunting "Operation for the Removal of a Stone," which included his text, read by Maestro Pak as the music was played by Mary Barranger on the harpsichord and Erin Breene and Mary Alice Hendricks on cellos.

The performance ended with Haydn's beautiful Symphony No. 94, the "Surprise Symphony."

Guest Marjorie Reeves echoed the sentiments of most of the concertgoers when she stated as she left the concert, "What an extraordinary experience.it's so much fun to learn all of these new things about music. Jung-Ho brings such excitement to the concerts."

www.sdco.org

Photos are available.