By Rhea Mursalin
Presented by the Bard College Conservatory of Music on December 4, 2021, the Bard Conservatory Orchestra welcomed guest conductor Thomas Wilkins (Principal Conductor, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra) for a program that paired contemporary resonance with orchestral classics: James Lee III’s Sukkot Through Orion’s Nebula (2011)—commissioned with support from the Sphinx Organization—Frederick Delius’s The Walk to the Paradise Garden, and Gustav Holst’s The Planets, Op. 32 (1914–16), a suite portraying the planets’ astrological characters from “Mars” to “Jupiter.” Wilkins shapes balance and pacing with warmth and clarity; winds bloom in Delius’s lyric lines, percussion and brass exhilarate in Holst, and Lee’s rhythmic bursts sparkle with color. The student ensemble plays with discipline and heart, turning a demanding program into a richly communicative experience.
⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars – Youth orchestra brilliance.
Rhea Mursalin is a recent graduate from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she earned a B.A. in Communications.
