By Tim Smith
The Baltimore Sun,  February 24, 2005

Last weekend, the Concert Artists of Baltimore continued its track record of imaginative programs and satisfying performances at the acoustically classy Gordon Center for Performing Arts in Owings Mills.

Saturday night's salute to Eastern European composers included Tchaikovsky's absurdly ignored Orchestra Suite No. 1, a sparkling score that suggests a ballet in search of a story. Conductor Edward Polochick tapped the many charms of the work and drew warm, dynamic playing from the ensemble. The bassoons nearly stole the show with their lush solo work.

Bohulslav Martinu's deftly crafted Concerto for Two Pianos, which Bach might have written had he lived in the 1940s, received a crisp, sweeping performance. Duo-pianists Mark Clinton and Nicole Narboni offered supple technique and terrific color, while Polochick had the orchestra digging just as animatedly into the notes.

The Concert Artists' chorus delivered a fascinating group of a cappella items - breezing through the challenging styles of eminent contemporary composers Krzystof Penderecki and Gyorgy Ligeti; reveling in the nostalgic warmth of a folk song by Soviet-era Vissarion Shebalin; and romping through a doo-be-doo-be-doo vocalization of an instrumental tune by Tchaikovsky.

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