A bold season opener from SMU`s Meadows Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven, Bernstein and Anna Clyne
(WorldNews Music)

The Meadows Symphony Orchestra has produced many an expert, even thrilling, performance over the years. But the annual turnover of students challenges every university orchestra each fall to rebuild rhythmic and expressive unanimity. So Friday night`s season-opening concert from Southern Methodist University`s student orchestra, at Caruth Auditorium, wasn`t as taut was subsequent performances surely will be. Still, under music director Paul Phillips, there was much to admire. It was certainly a daring program, opening with a three-year-old work by the British-born, American-resident composer Anna...