A very fine young clarinetist, Michal Beit-Halachmi gathered a group of gifted young musicians-pianists Noam Sivan and Jonathan Benichou; violinish Mikhail (Misha) Simonyan-and presented a first-rate afternoon of diversified chamber music at Weill Hall on March 8th under the auspices of Artists International's Thirtieth Anniversary Season in its New York Debut Winners Series. ... Her talent is outstanding and her virtuoso ability expectedly mirrors her educational background in finely-honed excellence.

The opening work on Ms. Beit-Halachmi's program was the World Premiere of Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano by Noam Sivan (b.1978) with the composer officiating at the keyboard. ... Let it be said that, although Mr. Sivan's compositional style is thoroughly modern, he also demonstrates an instinctive and heartfelt belief that music can likewise be expressive, even lyrical-and devoid of the abrasive unfeeling emptiness and hostility that some deemed de rigeur for "Contemporary Music." Miniatures made a delectable first impression. ...

Sivan ... joined Ms. Beit-Halachmi in Max reger's late Sonata in B Major, Op. 107. ... This magnificant Beit-Halachmi / Sivan collaboration [produced] a wonderfully warmhearted and insightful reading. ...

James Cohn's Cappricio for Clarinet and Piano, a New York Premiere, made yet another attractive impression. ...

After intermission came Francis Poulenc's bittersweet Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, which he wrote for Benny Goodman in 1962. ... Beit-Halachmi and Jonathan Benichou took an altogether hardergrained, incisively impetuous approach. During the Sonata's slow movement, a Romanza, I jotted down a marginal note to remind me that the performance had "lots of salt and pepper: Ms. Halachmi can be seductively kittenish, but she can also snarl like a tiger when required. She has exquisite control over tone production, breath control and line." Mr. Benichou provided just the right sort of witty, secco detachment, and it came as no particular surprise that as a French born musician-he evidently has Poulenc's style in his fingers and bloodstream.

An amusing intermezzo was provided by the New York Premiere of Amnon Wolman's Dead End for Clarinet and Toys. Wolman (b.1955) wrote it on a commission from the Tel Aviv Museum for Clarles Neidich, who premiered it at the First Tel Aviv Music Biennale-Tempus Fugit. ...

A superlative account of the Bartok 1939 Contrasts brought the lengthy afternoon to a sizzling conclusion. All three protagonists-Ms. Beit-Halachmi; and Mr. Benichou and the brilliant 17-year old Russo-Armenian violinist, Mikhail-or Misha-Simonyan-fairly exploded with temperament and color. Each player produced details that remained in the memory of this writer. ... It gives me particular pleasure to single out the two cadenzas-Ms. Beit-Halachmi's in the opening verbunkos and Mr. Simonyan in the Sebes. And Mr. benichou's nimble unison finger work throughout elicited sparks.

All things considered, a superlative concert (and, would you believe? Neither of the Brahms Clarinet Sonatas, although I am sure that Ms. Beit-Halachmi could play them exquisitely well).

Harris Goldsmith
New York Concert Review