It really captured their attention, engaged their imaginations, and drew them into the music in new ways. People say nothing about Beethoven 5 on the same program! Rose easily and completely upstaged one of the most famous classical symphonies of all time! All the ingredients, careful thought and planning, outreach, and of course the music and performances themselves, helped make it a very special event, so no wonder folks are still talking about it!
Alastair Willis
Music Director, South Bend Symphony
Clinton, who’s an award-winning and very accomplished film composer, wrote his piece at the suggestion of, and in collaboration with, violinist Holly Mulcahy…and the result is not only stunningly complex for its soloist, but extremely approachable (to say nothing of downright fun) for its listeners….and as for Mulcahy’s performance? Wow and wow. The piece calls upon her to wring out seemingly every ounce of what is possible to do with a violin, whether in classical style or more fiddle-like work, and the cadenza she’s created for the fifth movement is mesmerizing. She absolutely nails this piece, with a mastery of her instrument that’s, in a word, breathtaking. ~ Full Review
Arlene Bachanov
Adrian Daily Telegram Special Writer
George S. Clinton’s new violin concerto, The Rose of Sonora, is a magical movie of the mind. He takes us on a thoroughly entertaining and often moving journey, all the while expertly using the soloist and orchestra to their fullest. It’s also a lot of fun. Holly Muchaly is in full command and gives a beautiful performance.
Peter Golub
Composer, Director of Sundance Film Music Program at Sundance Institute
The Rose of Sonora…a concerto in five scenes, features renowned violinist Holly Mulcahy and…it’s just an incredible emotional adventure and masterwork. When I close my eyes and listen I see colors…lots of yellow, crimson, and azure.
Doreen Ringer-Ross
Vice President Creative – Film, TV & Visual Media at Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI)
I am absolutely humbled and honored to have conducted the world premiere of George S. Clinton’s The Rose of Sonora written for Holly Mulcahy. This is a groundbreaking work for violin, orchestra, and chorus, which engages the audience in a new refreshing way. This work has everything you can ask for: beautiful and memorable melodies, carefully crafted orchestrations, thrilling rhythmic drive, intense drama, and unexpected twists and turns. I am excited for the future audience of The Rose of Sonora to experience this emotional journey through captivating music and mesmerizing performance by Holly.
Kayoko Dan
Music Director, Chattanooga Symphony & Opera
Mr. Clinton’s new concerto in several scenes is, as one would expect, a masterpiece of storytelling. Without images, he conjures up through the violin solo and a full and colorful orchestra, the characters and scenes of a woman’s Wild West! George’s fertile imagination leads us into a delightful and dangerous world.
David Lockington
Music Director of the Pasadena Symphony
For anyone who loves stories, soundtracks or symphonies, “The Rose of Sonora” gloriously wraps all three into an evocative, thrilling, melodic and moving soundscape. It has the thrill of a classic Western, the sweep of a majestic movie soundtrack and, at its center, a soulful soloist and inspired symphonist. To call Holly Mulcahy an esteemed violinist and George S. Clinton an accomplished composer would be accurate, but also woefully inadequate. As much as anything else, they are storytellers, and in “The Rose of Sonora,” they bring to life a tale both epic and intimate. It’s wonderful listening, to be sure, but even more thrilling watching. Holly doesn’t perform this evocative score; she fully embodies it. Supported by some smart and thoughtful projections deigned to invite the audience into a tale that both honors the tropes of the outlaw while also skillfully subverting them, Holly manages to both interpret the score and wordlessly arcuate the narrative. Her dedication to living composers has always been impressive, and her performances are reliably nothing short of stellar; add to that the visceral thrill of seeing her perform a work composed specifically for her, and you have “The Rose of Sonora,” a score to relish and a performance to celebrate.
Scott Silberstein
Co-founder/Executive Producer, HMS Media Inc.
George Clinton has taken a remarkable narrative of an Old West outlaw and illustrated it beautifully with a violin concerto in five memorable “scenes”. Performed exquisitely by soloist Holly Mulcahy the work sonically draws you into Rose’s world with alternating vigor and unforgettable lyricism. The variety of Clinton’s orchestral colors, including the device of a male chorus, is, using a totally inadequate word,… lush.
Christopher Blair
Principal, a•’ku•stiks
President-Elect, The Conductors Guild