The Washington Post trumpets the Philadelphia Orchestra's proving its worth during a Kennedy Center performance on Friday.
Obviously no one expected the orchestra, which filed for bankruptcy protection in April, to take the stage in patched evening wear, with broken bows and dented brass, or to pass the hat at intermission. Members of the staff were, though, wearing buttons saying "Listen with your heart," the slogan of the ongoing fundraising campaign hoping to mitigate a structural deficit of $14.5 million.
Expectations went, if anything, the other way -- on the high side. The Philadelphia Orchestra is a regular guest in Washington, thanks to the Washington Performing Arts Society, whose president, Neale Perl, mentioned in his standard pre-concert remarks that this was the orchestra's 40th WPAS appearance. Those appearances are usually among the season's best orchestra concerts that the Washington audience gets to hear on its home turf.
No fear. Friday's concert was one of the best I've heard from the orchestra in years. Source: The Washington Post
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