Ray Chen with Detroit Symphony

Went to see Ray Chen playing Barber concerto with Detroit Symphony. Arriving early after dropping off S at the airport, I had time to have coffee and a mushroom pie at The Red Hook cafe before the concert. The scones are photo-taken because it reminded me of L’s crush who loves scones. Chen’s playing didn’t work for me. He seemed to be living in the tradition of bravura virtuoso style. He sounded better when I closed my eyes. There were a group of teenagers led by a teacher, probably a class trip, because Chen is a big social media personality. A girl in the row before mine kept laughing whenever Chen made dramatic gestures and facial expressions.