Violinist Hina Khuong-Huu with the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra (photo by Kai Tucker)

By Lily Tierney for BU Pipe Dream, February 4, 2026

As another afternoon of frigid winds swept through downtown, music enthusiasts crowded into the ornate forum theatre for a “Classic Style” program at the Binghamton Philharmonic.

Julia Grella O’Connell, the Philharmonic’s director of education and community engagement, held a pre-concert talk on Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony, and patrons chatted as the rest of the crowd filed in. As the first concert of 2026, O’Connell elaborated on the tone “Classic Style” aimed to set for the year ahead.

“Our first concert of the new year is traditionally a winter afternoon event,” O’Connell wrote in an email. “The days are getting longer, the light is increasing, and we’re all ready for a re-set. The music of ‘Classic Style’ is marked by a lucidity, lyricism, and clarity that are just right for embarking on a new year. This concert is exuberant and light-hearted, exactly the qualities we need right now!”

The title “Classic Style” also takes inspiration from the reputation of featured violinist Hina Khuong-Huu. Khuong-Huu was the first-prize winner of the 2023 Elmar Oliveira International Violin competition and has an impressive resume of her musical feats. O’Connell described the title as somewhat of a pun about the soloist.

“The pun comes in because we also have a classically stylish young violinist joining us for the Mozart, Hina Khuong-Huu, a native New Yorker who maintains an international solo career while simultaneously attending the Juilliard School and Columbia University,” O’Connell wrote. “[Khuong-Huu] is a monster player, but she’s also an elegant and sincere young woman who oozes style!”

The theatre fell silent as Maestro Daniel Hege, the music director and conductor of the Philharmonic, took the stage and the orchestra rose to greet him. Before the opening piece, Hege described Caroline Shaw’s “Entr’acte” as a dreamscape, a composition that mimics the feeling of fleeting memory.

As the music commenced, this comparison became apparent as crescendos and decrescendos garnered confidence and stole it away just as quickly. The ensemble was solely string instruments and throughout the piece, they played on the necks of their instruments to create an eerie, almost unsettling tone. The piece’s organized chaos was unique and more contemporary than the preceding arrangements.

Paul Cienniwa, the executive director of Binghamton Philharmonic, explained further how “Classic Style” complements the Philharmonic’s season.

“While this is the first Binghamton Philharmonic concert of 2026, it is the fifth concert of the orchestra’s 70th anniversary season, which started in September,” Cienniwa wrote in an email. “‘Classic Style’ and Hina’s appearance are a perfect continuation of the season, especially since the program offers some good respite during this cold and snowy season!”

Next was Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216,” featuring Khuong-Huu as the soloist. The rest of the Philharmonic took the stage and woodwinds and brass began to tune. Khuong-Huu waltzed towards center stage in a floor-length, striking yellow dress and was met with thunderous applause.

As the piece began, Khuong-Huu echoed phrases in a call-and-response with an impeccably clear tone. Her pointed articulation of each note complemented the Philharmonic’s echoing sound beautifully. The solo showcased the violin’s range and the highest highs and lowest lows flowed with elegance and expertise.

“Mozart’s 3rd Violin Concerto is such a dream to play, in part because it’s a fun, lively dialogue with the orchestra — a joy that is further amplified when playing with a great ensemble like the Binghamton Philharmonic,” Khong-Huu wrote in an email. “Mozart’s approach to a virtuosic work like this one is always full of humour and wit, which is incredible to get to explore on the violin.”

As the piece came to an end, audience members shot to their feet and cheered for the moving performance. Khuong-Huu then graced the forum with a solo piece, separate from the program. Her body language and swaying dress mimicked a dream-like waltz, recalling such a theme from the opening “Entr’acte.” Once again, her performance was met with wild enthusiasm and Khuong-Huu exited the stage after a bow.

Khuong-Huu’s ties to Binghamton stem from the aforementioned win of the 2023 Elmar Oliveira International Violin competition, as Oliveira is a former professor of Binghamton University. Khuong-Huu’s prowess on the violin has brought her to the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Carnegie Hall and Buckingham Palace.

“It’s truly a blessing to get to travel to so many different places around the world playing the violin, and get to see so much and meet incredible people while doing something I love — and Binghamton is no different!” Khuong-Huu wrote. “I’ve had the most amazing time with a vibrant orchestra and certainly hope to be back again soon.”

After an intermission, the crowd quieted and the lights dimmed for Felix Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90,” commonly known as “Italian.” The piece began with a flourish and the strings lifted their bows after the opening note in a dramatic effect. The sections within the ensemble danced along the brink of unifying their separate melodies, trading off musical motifs. The fast-paced nature of the ascending and descending phrases created a sense of urgency and was executed with flawless technique.

The final movement of the Symphony, “Saltarello: Presto,” built tensions higher as the strings commanded the room, eventually quieting and striking their final note. The musicians stood, bowing alongside Maestro Hege.

Their performance was invigorating and the crowd jumped to their feet a final time. It was truly a masterful musical performance for the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra.