News Journal, Delaware, February 7, 2003

Highly promoted violin soloist Lara St. John joined the orchestra for Leonard Bernstein's "Serenade" and won warm response with a challenging composition. The Canadian violinist, a Curtis Institute graduate, has performed with the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras and many other North American and European orchestras.

Bernstein's "Serenade for Solo Violin, String Orchestra, harp and Percussion (after Plato's Symposium)" (1954) is as formidable as its title suggests. This is distant, intellectual music even if its theme is love in its many dimensions.

St. John handled the often sere, high solo passages thoughtfully and with solid technique. While most of the writing exposes the soloist with very little orchestral support, a fine dialogue with cellist Doug McNames allowed St. John to display a bit of warmth. The final movement shifts to rollicking, jazzy rhythms. The audience warmed to the performance and St. John assumed a more animated stage presence, winning appreciative applause.