By Mike Phillips
Some of us don’t know much about classical music, but we can still enjoy and appreciate great performances even though we aren’t familiar with the genre. One evening last month, there was a fascinating program of piano music at the corner of Main Street and Prairie in downtown Vicksburg.
On this particularly hot and humid summer evening, the village hosted “The Concert Truck.” The rig is a traveling 16-foot box truck that unfolds like a piece of origami into a sophisticated concert stage with built-in sound and lighting. This summer the truck has been traveling throughout the region providing free concerts in city streets, neighborhoods and small towns. The sophisticated mobile concert stage was provided in association with the Irving S. Gilmore Piano Festival. The evening’s free concert was supported in part by the Vicksburg Foundation.
The Concert Truck is co-managed by two accomplished young pianists, Nick Luby and Susan Zhang. Both musicians have long educational credentials and have performed around the world. On this summer evening their program included classical romantic, Spanish, and waltz pieces written for piano duets – two musicians seated at one piano performing with four hands. The evening’s selections were rich and melodic; the pianists adeptly choreographed their arrangements with finesse and flair. Interspersed in the evening’s program were two solo piano pieces performed by each artist. This included a modern composition that Nick played that sounded considerably more percussive than melodic, an interesting contrast to the rest of the evening’s program.
A quick head count came up with at least 120 people at the concert. Although outdoors, the music coming from the electronic piano and sound system onstage was loud and clear. The stage also seemed to have some structural properties that enhanced acoustic projection.
During intermission, one of the smiling and approachable technical managers was asked whether The Concert Truck ever traveled with an acoustic piano. The manager said that while the truck could accommodate a large piano, summer heat and humidity would invariably render an acoustic instrument out of tune.
He went on to describe the technical aspects that went into making the digital piano sound as natural as possible. It was loud, but that turned out to be a good thing. During the concert there were more than a few rumbling, revving trucks and cars cruising up and down Prairie Street. Thanks to the amplified piano, those vehicles were a minimal distraction.
Zhang and Luby, together and individually, were masterful and compelling performers. They played with verve and intensity. But between pieces they were smiling and relaxed and appeared very glad to be here. The Gilmore’s community outreach was greatly appreciated by those in attendance. At the end of the concert, the audience across the casual and comfortable setting of Oswalt Park gave the two pianists a standing ovation.
