Brahms, Schumann, Wagner

Elgin Symphony Orchestra

Chicago, IL

“There aren’t many things that would take me on a trek to Elgin in freezing rain, but the opportunity to hear extraordinary Russian-American conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya lead a program of Wagner, Clara Schumann, and Brahms Saturday night with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra was well worth it. From the moment Yankovskaya took the musical reins at Chicago Opera Theater in 2017, she ushered in an exciting new era there. My hunch was she would be no less compelling conducting symphonic repertoire and indeed, such is the case. A refreshing and personal reading.”
–Dennis Polkow of Newcity Stage

“An intriguing rarity… Yankovskaya directed the score [Clara Schumann’s Concerto in A minor] deftly and alertly coordinated the quicksilver back and forth between soloist and orchestra. The Brahms performance was well balanced and professionally dispatched… [and] in Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, Yankovskaya seemed in her element, bringing theatrical fervor to the storm-tossed main theme, poise to Senta’s hymn in the winds and jaunty swagger to the antic sailors’ tune.”
–Lawrence A. Johnson, Chicago Classical Review