World Premieres and Old Favorites

New York Scandia String Orchestra
June 14, 2025
Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church, 152 West 66th Street, Manhattan
Reviewed by Thomas Todd

Foreground: Dorrit Matson (conductor), Nikolaj Hess (composer), Josefine Opsahl (composer), and Frank Foerster (composer and first viola). Photo by Aliza Holtz.

On Saturday evening, June 14, the New York Scandia Symphony String Orchestra, under the leadership of conductor Dorrit Matson, presented a colorful and exciting concert at the Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. This was a new performance venue for the group, which specializes in music from Scandinavian countries. The ensemble of 22 string players played with fire and precision, taking advantage of the fine acoustics of this old church, which was built in 1886.

Three new works by composers Nikolaj Hess, Josefine Opsahl and Frank Foerster, commissioned by Dorrit Matson, provided the most outstanding moments of a highly enjoyable program that paired new music with older favorites.

The concert opened with a violin concerto by Johan Helmich Roman, a Swedish composer of the Baroque era. Concertmaster Mayuki Fukuhara excelled in the solo part, which he played with sincerity and fire.

Mr. Fukuhara was also the soloist in the next work on the program: Pastoral Impressions, by Danish composer Nikolaj Hess. This lovely work, first performed by the orchestra in 2023, delighted the listeners with its rich and attractive harmonic language. Most effective were the slow sections, in which Mr. Fukuhara’s violin soared above the luscious sounding string accompaniment.

The next work (and the first world premiere) on the program was Frank Foerster’s Concertino Festivo. Mr. Foerster, who is the principal violist of the orchestra, had composed a joyous and marvelously inventive piece, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the orchestra’s Scandinavian Summer Music Festival. The music was melodious and engaging, ranging in style from serious Renaissance music to cheerful Scandinavian folk dances, tango and ragtime. The concluding humorous musical horse race displayed the impressive sound potential and virtuosity of this string orchestra.

After the intermission, we had the opportunity to listen to Carl Nielsen’s Little Suite op.1, his first published work, written in 1888. Dorrit Matson’s interpretation was a real treat; she succeeded in bringing out the many contrasting moods and dynamics of this expressive music.

Danish composer Josefine Opsahl’s All We Know is that it Radiates was the second world premiere of the evening. The young Miss Opsahl has already achieved celebrity status in her homeland, and this new work clearly displayed her outstanding talent. Often the string sections were divided into smaller groups of overlapping solo voices, creating a shimmering tapestry of sound that was very magical. Other sections sounded crisply rhythmic and energetic, contrasting effectively with the more ethereal moments. Ms. Matson conducted Miss Opsahl’s complex score with clarity and intelligent balancing of the many voices.

The three sympathetic composers were present at the concert and, together with the brilliant artistic director Dorrit Matson, received enthusiastic applause not only from the audience, but also from the musicians of the orchestra.

As a rousing encore, the orchestra played the first movement of Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite; a perfect choice to end the delightful evening.