Reviews
SEAN NEWHOUSE, conductor
3-4-11, Huffington Post, Lawrence Vittes - Review of Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview with the Louisiana Philharmonic
“...the musical results he achieved were little short of sensational. With stiff precise moves he drew wonderful sounds from the orchestra, including exquisite woodwind solos in the Saint-Saens; he took tremendous leaps of faith in the Bernstein. He marshaled all his force for the treacherous opening of the Beethoven Fifth, then let the Philharmonic show how really good it was...”
2-27-11, Superconductor Classical Music and Opera Blog, Paul Pelkonen - Review of Saturday night performance of Mahler 9th Symphony with Boston Symphony Orchestra (replacing James Levine)
“Mr. Newhouse proved himself up to the task on Saturday night, leading a vigorous performance that balanced the extremes of this long, difficult work. From the faltering heartbeat that starts the first movement to the final, shimmering violin figures of the last few bars, Mr. Newhouse was firmly in control of his orchestra. But the young conductor did more than just beat time--he offered his own interpretation of the work, making Mahler's last completed symphony a profound and deeply humanistic statement.”
2-25-11, Boston Globe, Jeremy Eichler - Review of Thursday night performance of Mahler 9th Symphony with Boston Symphony Orchestra (replacing James Levine on 2 hours’ notice)
"The exaggerated rusticity of the dances in the second movement came through clearly, as did the vigor and drive of the sardonic third movement... The BSO often played beautifully for him, the strings digging in deeply in the final movement to produce a glowing and expressive tone."
1-3-11, Examiner.com, Tom Alvarez - Review of New Year’s Eve concert with the Indianapolis Symphony
"The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s loss is the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s gain, in the person of Sean Newhouse. Formerly the assistant conductor at the ISO, Newhouse now has a similar position with the BSO...In a program consisting of spirited polkas and romantic waltzes, Newhouse conducted the orchestra with consummate flair, as it superbly replicated a traditional Viennese New Year's concert." (5 out of 5 stars)
1-3-11, Rita Kohn, NUVO - Review of New Year’s Eve concert with the Indianapolis Symphony
"Sean Newhouse returned to Indianapolis to conduct the ISO from his new post as assistant conductor to the Boston Symphony Orchestra's music director James Levine. Newhouse proved yet again his forte for teasing out the essence of a work, not merely getting the notes right."
7-28-10, NUVO, Rita Kohn – Review of Indianapolis Symphony “Symphony on the Prairie” concert
“From his first appearance with the ISO at Garfield Park in a memorable all-Russian program, Newhouse has impressed us with his incredible sense of balance throughout a work, his ability to personalize not only through his body language, but equally through a dimension of musicality and energy one felt with Leonard Bernstein on the podium.”
6-7-10, NUVO, Tom Aldridge – Review of Indianapolis Symphony subscription concert
"But the two violinists' domination in program time was possibly exceeded by Newhouse's superlative job conducting Richard Strauss's first tone-poem masterpiece, Don Juan...Newhouse and his players captured the lyric and heroic spirit of the doomed libertine, finally defined by two plucked E-unisons in the lower strings."
6-5-10, Indianapolis Star, Jay Harvey – Review of ISO subscription concert
"[Newhouse's] splendid account of Strauss' "Don Juan" with the ISO gave a poignant indication of what Boston will gain."
"[Augustin] Hadelich, Newhouse and the orchestra showed the nerve and alacrity of a top infield turning the double play."
2-1-10, Die Rheinpfalz, Gabor Halasz – Review of German debut with Deutsche Staatsphilarmonie Rheinland-Pfalz in Ludwigshafen, Germany
"Newhouse was completely in his element in this program, giving it powerful rhythmic impetus... [He] animated the energetic Staatsphilharmonie to play a lively, intense, and stylistically informed performance. Additionally, the Candide Overture, Symphonic Dances, and Cuban Overture were played with a strongly lyrical melodic arc." [translated from the original German]
2-2-10, Mannheimer Morgen, Monika Lanzendörfer – Review of German debut with Deutsche Staatsphilarmonie Rheinland-Pfalz in Ludwigshafen, Germany
"Bernstein's Overture to "Candide" and the Symphonic Dances from the famous "West Side Story" put the orchestra into a great swing and jazz mood. Capricious details, sharp rhythmic accents and intelligently-planned transitions between the sharp contrasts showed the youthful interpreter as a connoisseur of brilliant instrumental effects." [translated from the original German]
1-3-10, Examiner.com, Tom Alvarez – Review of ISO New Year’s Eve concert
"Under Newhouse’s exuberant and often fluid direction, the always solid orchestra was vibrant and spirited in its interpretation of music that is popular and familiar with general audiences. Notable selections included “Tales from the Vienna Woods Waltzes” by Johann Strauss Jr., “Thunder and Lighting Polka,” and “On the Beautiful Danube Waltzes,” also by Strauss Jr."
8-14-09, NUVO, Rita Kohn – Review of ISO all-Mozart program:
"The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra opened with the Overture to Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, nicely building the drama and the vocal line..."
4-28-09, NUVO, Rita Kohn – Review of ISO Happy Hour program
"Conductor Sean Newhouse communicates musical concepts with grace and ease."
4-5-09, Indianapolis Star, Jay Harvey – Review of American Pianists Association Competition Gala Finals w/ the ISO
"It's difficult to overpraise the fitness of the accompaniments in the two evenings of concertos, all of them challenging in individual ways. You can't take these five works for granted, and Newhouse and the ISO certainly didn't."
"The thrilling finale [of the Rachmaninov 3rd Concerto], constructed so that its most grandiose, arresting moments are never overindulged, found [Adam] Golka and the orchestra perfectly matched, with the opening material presented with particular snap all around."
4-4-09, NUVO, Tom Aldridge - Review of American Pianists Association Competition Gala Finals w/ the ISO
"Newhouse provided excellent preparation for all five concertos, the ISO shining through with good balance and articulation, offering a real partnership with each finalist."
9-6-08, Indianapolis Star, Whitney Smith – Review of ISO performances of Scheherazade and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Dance Kaleidoscope
“Sean Newhouse did an expert job, conducting the detailed variations and haunting "Dies Irae" references in the Rachmaninoff "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini," as well as the colorfully orchestrated "Scheherazade" scenes."
8-6-08, NUVO, Rita Kohn – Review of ISO “Pure Beethoven” performance
"Sean Newhouse made his Symphony on the Prairie conducting debut with a stunning trio of Beethoven works. The ISO players literally hugged the music, bringing not only a sense of loving what they were sharing, but equally pouring their very souls into the doing. Newhouse has a winning stage presence, imparting essential information to help us in the audience understand the intent and structure of the composition and to show why he himself loves this particular work. It’s equally evident that he and the players like working together. There’s a sense of ease within the electricity."
7-23-08, NUVO, Rita Kohn – Review of ISO Parks program
"An overflow Garfield Park audience cheered Sean Newhouse’s debut as associate conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for a Russian-composers’ concert. Newhouse is an animated conductor whose body language, facial expressions and overall enthusiasm for the work at hand connect as much with the audience as with the ISO players."
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