"The conservatory, the college level project, is coming to the end of its fourth year in existence and what I want people to know is even though these are college-level students, they are, in fact, young artists who play at a very professional level and we want to share the excitement with the Glendale community," she said.
While it's still early for her to commit to there being additional venues added to the performance schedule, Berman hinted that the orchestra could branch out to performing in the Pasadena area and the west side of Los Angeles.
What makes this orchestra so unusual is that every player is a soloist in his or her own right, Berman said.
"They all play at a very high solo level," she said. "Many have won many prizes in international competitions and are soloing with other professional orchestras where they are getting paid."
For example, she said, the piano soloist for Sunday's concert is David Fung, who will perform Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G.
"He has been accepted into the Queen Elizabeth competition this summer, which is a very difficult competition to get into," she said. "So, essentially the audience has the opportunity to hear the next generation of professionals while they are still here."
The piece is one that everyone tends to enjoy, Fung said.
"The first movement has sort of a blend of circus music, Middle Eastern to jazz influences, hinting more so at these things," he said. "The second movement is one of my all-time favorite movements in any piece, because it's just so moving and delicate."
The piece was created at a time when jazz was popular in France, said guest conductor Jorge Mester, of Montrose.
"Many expatriates were living in France during the two world wars, so Ravel wrote this piece as a jazz type concerto," he said. "There was a huge number of Americans from the art world living in Paris, — [Ernest] Hemingway lived there, Gertrude Stein — so lots of American jazz was being played in France at that time."
This jazzy piece is one that modern American audiences can relate to, he added.
Mester is anxious to be leading the players, some who he knows firsthand are of world-class-concert quality.
"It's a stupendous school and the talent there is world class," Mester said. "I know some of the string players and they are of world-class- concert quality. In fact, I am inviting one of them to play with me in another orchestra in Louisville. They are incredible players."
