Haochen Zhang with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in Denver

If you didn't get to see Haochen Zhang play with the Colorado Symphony on Fri or Sat night, you have one more chance! Don't miss it! The Van Cliburn Competition gold medal winner plays again at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, 2/21, at Boettcher Hall. Students really have no excuse, because if you get there about 10 minutes ahead, you can get a really good seat for $5. (We sat in the 3rd row)

The program started with Tchaikovsky, Francesca da Rimini, Symphonic fantasy after Dante, Opus 32. The high-energy piece was a nice setup for Zhang, who played the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major. He is only 19. Nineteen! After such a showy, hard-edged performance, the flowing, delicate gentle encore was a nice contrast to show what he can do. Not sure what the encore was. Chopin? (If you were there, please help out)

Then the orchestra finished with conductor Scott O'Neil leading a brisk reading of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, arranged by Ravel. The trumpet was fantastic: clear, confident in the Promenade, precise tonguing. The french horn, I think it was, had some tough breaks on a couple of notes. The final movement was magnificent, especially from the third row. The brass really shined, and the audience was on its feet.