Recent Reviews
Symphony Soloist Delivers Spell-Binding Performance
Friday, April 20, 2012 - InlandSoCal.com by Sherli Leonard
Redlands Symphony Orchestra's audience stood in enthusiastic appreciation of the world premiere of Francisco Castillo's “Rhapsody for Oboe, English Horn, and Orchestra” at the concert last weekend.
The 15-minute piece surely needs to be ensconced in the orchestra's repertoire, although I suspect it may be technically challenging for most oboists, written, as it was, for New York Philharmonic's Principal Oboe Liang Wang, Castillo's former student.
Symphony Concert Taps into Operatic Passion
Tuesday, Feb 14, 2012 - InlandSoCal.com by Sherli Leonard
Four Italians and a Russian - surely, melodies of romance and passion were never in better composing hands. Thus convinced, the Redlands Symphony Orchestra programmed its Feb. 11 concert to revel in the lush, long lines of the opera arias that have ripped hearts for almost 200 years.
Two fine singers joined the orchestra, under the baton of an apparently thriving Jon Robertson, to deliver works by Verdi, Puccini, Bellini, Mascagni, and Tchaikovsky for an immensely satisfying concert.
Symphony Opens Season with Glorious Music
Tuesday, Oct 25, 2011 - InlandSoCal.com by Sherli Leonard
The Redlands community has reason to celebrate: the Redlands Symphony Orchestra has launched into yet another season of music-making its 61st and conductor Jon Robertson is starting his 29th season as the orchestra’s music director.
Robertson conducted the orchestra in the season-opening concert Saturday night and delivered nothing less than everything the audience has come to expect from him over almost three decades music that stirs the mind, the heart and the soul.
Redlands Orchestra triumphs with Mahler's Resurrection
Thursday, May 26, 2011 - The Press-Enterprise by Sherli Leonard
Classical music doesn't get any more serious than Symphony No. 2, an intricate exploration of the need for hope and the exaltation of God, from the opening awakening notes to the positively glorious orchestral affirmation at the end. Robertson had said in an earlier interview that Mahler was an acquired taste. Be that so, a house full of listeners acquired the taste at Saturday's concert and was raised to their feet for a lengthy and well-deserved standing ovation.
This was Robertson's event. He programmed the music, he lived the music, and he gathered, with care and passion, 72 instrumentalists, 114 chorus-members, and two soloists to experience this symphony - "symphony," too small a word.
Symphony Performs Star Wars with Force
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2011 - The Press-Enterprise by Sherli Leonard
So monumental was the sound from the Redlands Symphony Orchestra at Saturday night's concert that Conductor Jon Robertson's baton flew from his hands, the Memorial Chapel windows shattered, and the roof blew off.
Just kidding about the roof and the windows - although it may have come close - but Robertson did lose his baton during the frenzy of the first part of John Williams' "Star Wars Suite." Neither he nor the jumbo-sized orchestra missed a beat.
Orchestra, Audience Rejoice in Beethoven
Monday, Feb 1, 2011 - The Press-Enterprise by Sherli Leonard
This should be short. Last weekend, the Redlands Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Jon Robertson, brought thousands to Beethoven as the orchestra filled Memorial Chapel with elegant, inspired and brilliantly fresh 200-year-old music, performed with technical mastery and joyful artistry. End of story.
Redlands Symphony Makes Gershwin Fascinating
Monday, May 17, 2009 - The Press-Enterprise by Sherli Leonard
Menor's unaffected, quiet approach belied his total mastery of the piano as he played with impeccable technique, whether playing blistering-fast runs or tricky arpeggios, and thoughtful artistry, whether playing agitated octaves or light and mysterious melodies.
In the concerto's second movement, especially, Menor and conductor Jon Robertson seemed to challenge each other to deliver the more sensitive rendering of the music on their respective instruments - Menor's piano and Robertson's orchestra.
Redlands Symphony Delivers the Wow Factor
Monday, March 15, 2010 - The Press-Enterprise by Sherli Leonard
The program of works by three great composers, Mozart, Beethoven and Mendelssohn, could have been too much of a good, sound-alike thing, except for the thoughtful order of music, with the joyful, ebullient and irrepressible Symphony No. 4 by Mendelssohn in the last position, leaving the audience refreshed and energized.
Guest Soloist Triumphs in Redlands Symphony Concert
Monday, February 1, 2010 - The Press-Enterprise by Sherli Leonard
Jonah Kim…played the Dvorak concert as if he composed it on the spot from his own heart…Nothing we could have done could show enough appreciation for what he brought to the audience at this amazing moment.
Violinist's edge adds to concert
Monday, October 12, 2009 - The Press-Enterprise by Sherli Leonard
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," (reportedly attributed to Mozart), would have received rave reviews if performed at Memorial Chapel in Redlands by the Redlands Symphony Orchestra as they played their season-opening concert Saturday night.
With more substantial musical fare on the program, the orchestra and violin soloist Gareth Johnson, under the direction of conductor Jon Robertson, blew the socks off an enthusiastic audience.