A Symphonic Metamorphosis In Gray Chapel

By 1808Delaware

Gray Chapel has a way of amplifying sound until it becomes almost physical. On Saturday, November 15 at 7:30 PM, the Central Ohio Symphony steps onto that stage with a compact, one-hour program that moves from a contemporary piece full of atmosphere to one of the most beloved violin concertos ever written, finishing with a bold and witty orchestral showpiece.

If you prefer concerts that don’t wander, this one wastes no time.

A Modern Voice Opens the Program

The evening begins with It Haunts Me Still, a 2024 work by composer Cooper Wood. New music can make audiences nervous. You don’t have a roadmap. You can’t hum along. But this piece isn’t modern for modern’s sake. It feels personal, grounded in emotion rather than technique.

Instead of noise or shock value, Wood uses restraint. The music creates a sense of searching, like a memory half-remembered.

Aisha Syed Casts a Spell with the Bruch

Next comes Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, written in 1866. Aisha Syed-Castro returns as the soloist, and she’s not a performer who settles for surface beauty. She digs into the phrasing, shaping the long violin lines with intention.

Movement order
Vorspiel. Allegro moderato
Adagio
Finale. Allegro energico

The second movement is the emotional centerpiece. It’s slow, lyrical, and intimate. Then the last movement snaps everything into motion with sharp energy and dazzling technique.

This concerto stays popular for a reason. It’s sincere. It wears its heart on its sleeve.

Stories from Weber to Hindemith

After the concerto, the orchestra plays the overture to Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber. The overture begins in shadow and mystery, then breaks into bold, heroic musical gestures. It’s one of the pieces that helped define Romantic orchestral drama.

Paul Hindemith follows with Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber. In four movements, Hindemith takes Weber’s music and morphs it into something entirely different. It’s witty, energetic, and rhythmically alive.

Movement order
Allegro
Scherzo Turandot
Andantino
Marsch

By the time the Marsch hits, the full force of the orchestra fills the hall.

A Conductor Focused on Clarity and Connection

Jaime Morales-Matos leads the performance. He has a direct, communicative conducting style. The orchestra responds to him with tight ensemble playing and strong dynamic control. When he leans in, they follow. When he pulls back, they listen.

His approach is not about flash. It’s about intention.