[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts music review of SoCal Concert Pianist Jason Stoll at The Athena Foundation for the Arts.
Outside the Community Auditorium the rain was lashing, the streets were flooded, and the cold dark skies felt forbidding. However, inside the auditorium, there was light, warmth, and glorious music. It was welcoming for all that braved the weather. We were all rewarded by the beautiful performance by SoCal Concert Pianist Jason Stoll.
When the Athena Foundation for the Arts hosts these wonderful concerts, I have always been impressed by the caliber of talent. The musical selections are also quite lovely and this performance continued the excellence that I have come to enjoy and, quite frankly, expect. Mr. Stoll was a formidable talent, but he also took the time to introduce the pieces one at a time and his enthusiasm for each piece was infectious. In particular, he played a piece by the composer Florence Price called Clouds. I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard of this turn-of-the-century composer and after Mr. Stoll’s performance, I have placed Ms. Price on my classical music playlist. All the pieces were charming, delightful, and played with so much joy, that I was literally on the edge of my seat.
After a terrific set of Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturne in B major Op, 9 No. 3 and the Sonata No 3. 3 in B minor Op. 58, I found myself a bit breathless. But, I must admit that the most heartfelt moment of an already magnificent evening is when Mr. Stoll treated us to two compositions melded together, Pure Imagination, from the movie Wonka, and Over the Rainbow from the film The Wizard of Oz. These songs brought a smile to my face and a tear in my eye. It made me feel 10 years old again listening to my first classical concert. I fell in love then and once again that night.
After the concert, Mr. Stoll met with some of the audience members and I snuck away. I waded through the flooded streets and got to my car almost completely wet. I sat in my car for a moment reliving the concert. All the way home I was humming Pure Imagination.