Work: Fantaisie in A major, for violin and harp, Op.124

István Várdai delivers a knockout punch in Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto no. 1 at the Franz Liszt Music Academy. 

Regular concert-goers are used to hearing the harp on a church altar or mixed in with a large symphony, barely audible above the mass of strings, bass and brass. But the St Luke’s Chamber Ensemble put the harp center stage, in an evening of 20th-century French music, no less.

Chamber Music International kicked off its 27th concert season on Saturday evening at Southern Methodist University. The centerpiece of the program was John Williams’ Quartet La Jolla, and the other works all used various combinations of these instruments.