Jean-Efflam Bavouzet delights audience with mini-recital

The Orchestra may have arrived late for the April 6 concert at the State Theatre, but the audience got a special bonus—a mini-recital by piano soloist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.

As NJSO Director of Artistic Planning Roger Wight explained, Orchestra members were traveling on chartered buses to the concert. One of those buses was unfortunately stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel for more than hour, causing them to arrive well after the concert was scheduled to start.

Typically, if a portion of the Orchestra was late, the program order would be adjusted so that pieces using fewer musicians were performed first. Because all of the works on the program use all the musicians, this wasn't an option on Saturday night.

Bavouzet graciously agreed to chat with Wight about the program, and to perform some solo works during the 40-minute delay. He opened with Debussy's Arabesque No. 1, and also played Massenet's amusing Toccata.

Due to the delay, Messiaen's The Forgotten Offerings was not performed.