Stars and Stripes Forever

Zhonghua’s two performances of Grieg with the Hilton Head SO went well. The first evening was a bit reserved for three reasons (I think): first, it was Zhonghua’s first performance of Grieg and he was on the workmanlike side; secondly, it was an afternoon concert and the orchestra was a bit on the comfortable side; lastly, there were some plants in BIG pots in front of the piano to hide the microphones, but they actually ended up blocking quite a bit of the sound coming from the piano. After the concert, we had a little session where I showed him how to pick up the orchestra and told him to let things rip the next evening, which he did with great excitement. It was a fantastic performance, and the audience loved it. While, I can’t share it here for union reasons, I can share the first encore of the evening: the Sousa-Horowitz Stars and Strips Forever, which the audience responded to with great appreciation. We, too, offered it to the audience in appreciation for everything the HHSO has done for Zhonghua! Also a big thanks to Maestro John Morris Russell for being so supportive of Zhonghua!