Rachmaninoff Concerto Orchestra
December 2012.
Founded with the support of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s descendants in Costa Rica, the country in which the family currently resides, the Rachmaninoff Concerto Orchestra brought together musicians and soloists from the United States, Costa Rica, and Belize in a project to create international opportunities and professional experience for local performers. Three concerts were given from December 2012 through February 2013 featuring Seth Montfort, founder of the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra, along with:
• Joseph Gold, virtuoso violinist, student of Jascha Heifetz, and current owner of Eduard Remenyi’s famed “bow of death,” • Annette DiMedio, concert pianist whose past performances include with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, and Moravian Symphony in Czech Republic among others, and • Colville Young, Jr., appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to music and education in Belize, director of the National Youth Orchestra and Choir of Belize, and music director at the National Institute for Culture and History (NICH) in Belize City.
Orchestra musicians were drawn from professional players in San José as well as advanced conservatory and university music students. Rafael is the founding director and conductor.