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the orchestra world

astoria festival – concert one

Tonight was the opening night of the 2010 Astoria Music Festival (and that’s the Astoria in Oregon, not the one in New York).  The concert was billed as Norman Leyden’s All-American Gala, and it certainly lived up to its name.  With the exception of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, the entire program consisted of Leyden’s legendary arrangements, and playing them again was like getting in touch with an old friend.