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By Eileen Wingard
 SAN DIEGO, California— A doe-eyed beauty in an elegant black spaghetti-strapped gown opened Orchestra Nova’s first concert of the season with a bold rendition of Mozart’s Violin Concerto #3. Lindsay Deutsch attacked the work with incisive rhythmic drive.
Emphasizing her collaboration with the musicians, Deutsch, while playing, turned 180 degrees to make eye contact with the first violins, then later, swerved in the other direction to collaborate with the conductor.
Although this compromised some of the tone quality from her sonorous Seraphin violin, it made for fascinating theatrics.
In the second movement, Deutsch played with more of the tender refinement we are accustomed to hear in Mozart interpretations. The last movement was a spirited romp, full of verve and technical display.
Deutsch, listed in the program as “principal guest artist,” has known Orchestra Nova’s conductor, Jung-Ho Pak, since she was 10 years old, having played at that young age in a music festival where he conducted. Her teacher in Los Angeles, Robert Lipsett. has produced a number of recognized artists including concert violinist Leila Josephowitz and Assistant Concertmaster of the NY Philharmonic, Sheryl Staples. Deutsch’s violin is on loan from the Mandel collection in Los Angeles.
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Texas-born Deutsch, a member of Los Angeles’ Jewish Community, includes in her credits a performance with the LA Jewish Orchestra under Noreen Green.
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Three German Dances that followed had innovative touches, a hallmark of Pak’s programming. One dance Mozart scored to include a posthorn, used by postal deliverers during his time, and expertly played by principal trumpet, John Wilds. Before the second dance, two couples, dressed in period costumes, emerged from the sides to do stylized minuets. For the final dance, Pak himself donned a period jacket.
Mozart’s most melodious symphony, the 40th, concluded the program. It was given an energetic reading under Pak’s animated direction. Particularly memorable were the woodwinds and horns in the trio of the third movement. The Finale was taken at a rapid clip with marked dynamic contrasts, concluding a delightful evening of Mozart.
Several members of the orchestra were in the lobby to greet the patrons as they arrived. In the printed program, under the caption, “The Stars of our Orchestra,” each musician had a colored photo. Several had biographical sketches along with a lengthy article about the conductor. We even learned what airport food Pak liked best. Pak introduced each work from the stage. This all made the concert experience more personal.
Although Orchestra Nova does minimum advertising, through word of mouth, news has spread, as was attested to by the large audience. The programs are repeated three times, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Downtown San Diego, at Sherwood Auditorium and at the Irwin Jacobs Qualcomm Hall, Sorrento Valley.
At the close of the concert, Pak came into the audience to shake hands and exchange words with audience members. Orchestra Nova concerts afford some of the most entertaining and enlightening concert experiences available, filled with intimacy, creativity and innovation.
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