Some people may say that classical music is boring.  Or even dead.

This was definitely not the case when I saw Nadja Salerno- Sonnenburg perform with the Westchester Philharmonic. I can tell you, when I saw her play her violin, I wasn’ t even bored for a second!

Nadja is as passionate, feisty, and enthusiastic as any other Italian performer. She displayed that side of her as she barked orders at the string orchestra backing her up, wasn‘t afraid to make jokes about herself, and bounced around on her seat as she played.

She spoke through her eyes as she performed, like the violin was a part of her.  I could really tell that she loved the violin and wanted to share her joy with everyone else.

One of the movements of a particularly spicy, energetic song called The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires by Astor Piazzolla, had the audience caught in its spell.  It had a catchy rhythm and feisty melody that had me bobbing my head and swaying in time with the music.  Nadja was stomping her feet and jumping about in her chair.  If she had her way, she probably would’ve gotten up and danced around the stage as she played!

A famous piece, Brahm’s Hungarian Dance #5 was the last on the program. You know the one, that melody that conjures up images of gypsy caravans, armies, maracas, and passionately dancing women wearing flowing colorful clothing. The performance made me wish I could’ve joined Nadja on stage.