Kevin Spacey still talks about the excitement of meeting Jack Lemmon when he was 13, and hearing him say, "You were a touch of terrific." Now introducing 134 young musicians from 50 countries, at Lincoln Center this week, he recounted that story as a way of explaining the importance of encouraging young talent. The World Peace Orchestra performing on the anniversary of 9/11, with President Obama deciding the efficacy of a military strike against Syria, lent an extra air of authority to the stellar evening. Patricia Clark, a host of the special night remarked, how often do we go to a premiere that even has a concept of world peace, as Darlene Love, Susan Lucci, Kathleen Turner, Jefferson Mays, Celia Weston, Rosanna Scotto, Peter Cincotti, made their way up the escalator to Avery Fisher Hall.
Conducted by Gintaras Rinkevicius from Lithuania, who seemed to dance with the orchestra for their rendition of West Side Story selections, the music was sensational. Violinist Alexander Markov played his Paganini Caprice 24, and then, slipping into something more comfortable, a purple velvet jacket over a multi-tiered white shirt, and picking up a gold violin, he led the Rock Concerto. By late into the night, well past the program's listing, he was still letting it rip.
A version of this post also appears on Gossip Central.