Above: SPCO Artistic Partner Jeremy Denk performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in New York City on Saturday evening.

The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra is a world-class conductorless ensemble — are they exactly what American needs this divisive election season?

SPCO players spent their weekend in New York City, where they played a season-opening concert for the 92nd Street Y. The program featured the New York premiere of "O Mikros, O Megas (This Tiny World, This Enormous World)" by American composer George Tsontakis. Also featured was Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 with SPCO artistic partner/solo pianist Jeremy Denk.

The concert dazzled New York music critic Corinna da Fonseca-Willheim. Writing for the New York Times, she used adjectives such as "fiery" and "velvety" to describe the performances.

In an amusing twist, the writer also used the performance as a metaphor for equity and democracy. "To me, it was also a reassurance that, in certain quarters, participatory democracy is alive and well," she wrote.

Another excerpt: "It became a touching example of how much the absence of a conductor encourages orchestral musicians to be supportive — and even protective — of one another."

Michael Wilson, Star Tribune

Read the entire review here.

Want to hear "O Mikros, O Megas," one of the pieces Fonseca-Willheim raved about? Catch the Midwest premiere at various St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concerts in the Twin Cities through Oct. 29. For tickets, call 651-291-1144 or visit thespco.org.