Hilary Hahn, Seth Parker Woods, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Last night, October 17, 2026, I attended a concert of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons conducting, at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. I am writing this review to jog my memories in future years; this is not intended to be a serious and scholarly review.

The program was:

• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Polonaise from Eugene Onegin, Opus 24
• Carlos Simon: Double Concerto for violin, cello, and orchestra
• Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Opus 71, Act II

I was seated on the main floor towards the front and left, in seat I22. This was close to the stage, giving me an excellent view of Hilary Hahn and Seth Parker Woods during the double concerto.

Carlos Simon’s Double Concerto was “co-commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons, Music Director, through the generous support of the New Works Fund established by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.” I think it’s good for governments to support the arts.

Tchaikovsky’s Polonaise was a light, insubstantial warm-up for the orchestra and audience. I have not heard Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin, so I had no context for this short piece.

Carlos Simon’s Double Concerto with Hilary Hahn and Seth Parker Woods was my reason for attending this concert. My wife and I attended a performance of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in the late 1990s when a young Hilary Hahn played Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, a concert I remember well. It was a treat to see and hear Hilary Hahn again after so many years. As a new student of the cello, I was also eager to watch Seth Parker Woods play. Carlos Simon came on stage and gave a short spoken introduction to the piece.

I enjoyed the Double Concerto very much as a piece of new music that is not too dissonant (Elliot Carter comes to mind as an example of dissonant music I do not understand). Hilary Hahn and Seth Parker Woods coordinated very well together, and they clearly understood each other and were enjoying playing the concerto. They both have wonderful stage presence. My only negative comment about the performance would be that sometimes the orchestra drowned out the soloists. I would like to hear this concerto again, but I have schedule conflicts for the other two performances by the BSO.

The audience enjoyed the performance and responded with a standing ovation, calling the soloists, composer, and conductor back three times for bows.

After the intermission, the orchestra played Act II of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, an odd choice a little early for the Christmas season. Andris Nelsons will conduct all six of Tchaikovsky’s symphonies in the spring, so perhaps this was intended as a preview. Whatever, I loved this performance; I think it’s the first time I’ve heard the music, so familiar, performed live. Of all the wonderful tunes in this piece, my favorite is “Coffee (Arabian Dance)” with its unusual harmonies. The quality of playing by the orchestra was outstanding.

The audience loved the Nutcracker (big surprise!) and responded with a standing ovation and loud cheers. I find that young music students are vocal in their appreciation of fine playing, and I support this attitude.

On my way home on the Green Line E train, about a hundred festive young women boarded at North Station after attending a concert by Olivia Rodrigo.

Articles and Reviews

I found the following articles and reviews, which provide more perspective into this concert than I can provide:

• Carlos Simon, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s first composer chair, is writing up a storm, by Jon Garelick.

• BSO Composer Carlos Simon Debuts Sixth New Work with Hilary Hahn at Symphony Hall by Will O’Brien; it’s unfortunate that the title omits Seth Parker Woods.

• Dancerless, But Filled with Movement by Julie Inglefinger.

• Simon concerto proves a misfire while Tchaikovsky ballet music dances with BSO by Jonathan Blumhofer. I disagree strongly with Blumhofer’s stodgy and grumpy review of Simon’s double concerto.