Santa Claus himself made a surprise visit to the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra’s holiday concert Sunday, Dec. 7.
Well, not exactly — but when WPO music director Michael Korn conducted the concert’s final pieces dressed as jolly St. Nick, his infectious holiday cheer rang throughout the Waltham Government Center, making hearts warm and spirits merry.
The holiday concert, which drew around 100 cheerful attendees, featured the young co-winners of the orchestra’s Student Concerto Competition, Ezra Lewis, 14, and Hayden Ren, 17. The annual competition, which typically only crowns one winner, aims to highlight the talent of musicians under the age of 18.
Following the season opener that celebrated the works of Black composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, this concert continued the trend by featuring another selection from Coleridge-Taylor’s repertoire,”Christmas Overture.” Other featured pieces included Tchaikovsky’s “Variations on a Rococo Theme” and the first movement of Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A Minor.”
Ren and Lewis performed the Tchaikovsky piece and the Grieg piece respectively.
Ren is a cellist and senior at Newton North High School who has performed in multiple ensembles, including the New England Philharmonic and Wellesley Symphony Orchestra. She has performed at Carnegie Hall and was runner-up in the Waltham orchestra’s 2023 Student Concerto Competition.
Ren expressed her thoughts on the experience of performing vs. practicing: “I have to represent what this piece is about,” she said. “So I have to kind of become like an actor, in a way, to seem really engaging.”
Ren smiled humbly as she received a standing ovation, expressing her gratitude after her performance.
“It’s just like this sense of amazement with myself,” Ren said. “To feel like the response is so well[-received], that makes me feel like I did a good job.”
Lewis, a young composer who has studied piano for nine years, performed and was interviewed on NPR’s national radio program “From the Top” when he was 11. He studies classical piano under Professor Jonathan Bass at the New England Conservatory of Music and jazz piano with Professor Zahili Gonzalez Zamora at Berklee College of Music.
Lewis said that when he began playing the Grieg piece in February, he fell in love with the music. Upon finding out he was one of the competition’s winners and that he would play with the orchestra, Lewis said he was “ecstatic.”
“It was my first time ever playing in front of the orchestra. And it was amazing,” Lewis said. “I’d go as far to say it was life-changing.”
Lewis, who also received a standing ovation after his piece, said he was thankful for everyone who came to see the concert and for their compliments.
“The biggest joy of music for me is spreading it to the world,” Lewis said. “Having such an opportunity to do that… is just amazing.”
Waltham High School senior Cody Caballerro was helping organizers out and heard Ren and Lewis play. As a fellow young musician, Caballerro had one thing to say: “It was phenomenal, definitely.”
WPO music director Michael Korn said it feels “awesome” to perform with individuals as talented and kind as Ren and Lewis.
“They are not just excellent performers — they’re nice humans,” Korn said. “It always matters, because it’s more fun to perform that way.”
When asked about his appearance as Santa Claus, Korn gave a hearty chuckle.
“I think it’s time to get a new suit,” Korn said. “It’s been in the closet for too long.”
For full gallery of concert photos, see foto visions by David Greenfield Photography.
This story was written in collaboration with the Boston University local journalism program.
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