Meet the Artist...
Morgan McMillon
Here are two articles about Morgan McMillon:
and an Excerpt from The Saginaw News
Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra delivers
awe-inspiring season opener
Monday, October 29, 2007
GREGORY H. LARGENT
FOR THE SAGINAW NEWS
The Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra had an awe-inspiring opening Saturday at
Saginaw's Temple Theatre with its concert ''The AWE of Saginaw Bay.'' Music
director and Conductor Patrick Flynn created an evening of diverse musical styles
and exciting performances. Flynn is to be congratulated for programming an evening
around the ''awe'' factor of Saginaw's Morgan McMillon, Brush Street (Michael Brush,
Jerry Cameron, Matt Corrigan, Jordan Edwards), Julie Mulady and the Saginaw Bay
Symphony Orchestra. . . .
. . . McMillon, Saginaw's 18-year-old musical wonder, made his concerto debut with
Ibert's ''Concertino de Camera for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra.'' This is one
tough piece for the soloist and for the orchestra. McMillon, Flynn and the orchestra
made brilliant music together, and the audience was enthralled. It was like
watching an intense tennis match as musical ideas were volleyed back and forth at
breakneck speed.
McMillon's gifts include beautiful tone in all registers, technique to burn, a brilliant
grasp of the rhythmic complexity in this score and a seemingly limitless dynamic
range. His concentration was outstanding. Even when someone in the audience
rudely took a flash picture of him performing, it did not break his concentration.
McMillon's final solo cadenza left the audience breathless. The audience
immediately was on its feet, cheering with great enthusiasm. The encore was a stunning performance of Milhaud's ''Scaramouche.''
The evening concluded with a stellar performance of Ravel's ''Bolero.'' Ravel's work is based on a simple premise, a crescendo. Flynn was masterful in his pacing of the
work. Every time the theme reappeared, it seemed fresh and new. It was a brilliant showcase for the ''awe''-some solo creativity in the orchestra players. Bravo to Central Michigan University percussion professor Andrew Spencer for keeping the snare drum drone fresh and inviting.
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