There are many works for piano and strings, such as piano trios, piano quartets, and piano quintets, but works for piano and string orchestra are not performed all that often. That made the Camerata PYP’s concert with pianist Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts on January 10 a unique experience. Under Musical Director David Hattner, they delivered superb performances for piano and string orchestra by a wide range of composers that included Joaquín Turina, Franz Liszt, Camile Saint-Saëns, Jessie Montgomery, Carlos Surinach, and Bruce Stark.

Consisting of the best string players from the Portland Youth Philharmonic, the Camerata PYP represents an extremely dedicated and talented group of young musicians. To maintain a high level of artistry in both ensembles, they take on a heavy workload, with additional rehearsals in order to play very challenging music. The outstanding results in the concert at The Reser, titled “Sound Garden,” spoke volumes.

Opening the concert with Joaquín Turina’s Rhapsodia Sinfónica, Sánchez-Werner and the strings painted lovely images that evoked Spain. Light, breezy textures reminded me now and then of Maurice Ravel and Manuel de Falla’s style. The duet that featured Concertmaster Kaylee Nah and Sánchez-Werner added a dollop of extra lyricism before the music wrapped up with a bold ending.

Franz Liszt was in his 20s when he wrote Malédiction for Piano and String Instruments. Malédiction means “curse,” and that was the word that was written on the first page of the score, but not necessarily meant as its title. Musicologists latched onto that word for the title of the piece when they rediscovered the work in 1915.

As a kind of rhapsodic tone poem, Malédiction required virtuosic flair from the pianist, and Sánchez-Werner delivered all of the goods with gusto. From the bombastic introduction to the splashy, thunderous finale, there were plenty of mercurial detours. Sánchez-Werner created numerous delicate, quiet moments that were exquisitely accompanied by the ensemble. Each time the music seemed to grow dark, it would lighten up – as if Liszt were searching for the right way forward.

Sánchez-Werner and the ensemble evoked champagne and merriment in his performance of Caprice-Valse (“Wedding Cake”), a deceptively tricky number for the soloist that Saint-Saëns wrote in 1886 as a wedding present for fellow pianist Caroline de Serres. With an impeccable technique, Sánchez-Werner created cascading passages that tickled the ears and elicited chuckles from the audience.

Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra, by Jessie Montgomery, winner of the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, received a mesmerizing performance from Sánchez-Werner and the PYP Camerata.  Designed as “a rondo within a rondo within a rondo” in five major sections, Montgomery’s Rounds built a hypnotic vibe through variations on passages that are similar but also different. One round featured a cadenza that the pianist must create for him or herself.  Sánchez-Werner’s creation sounded like it was in the Romantic vein – with some big, juicy chords before the strings re-entered.

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The Concertino for Piano, Strings, and Cymbals, by Spanish composer Carlos Surinach, returned concertgoers to imagery from his homeland. Over the course of three movements, Sánchez-Werner more than conquered the many virtuosic demands of the piece, delivering thrilling, knuckle-crunching passages and contrasting them with lovely, reflective melodic lines. Kudos to percussionist Liam Andrews, who skillfully handled several different types of cymbals.

Although it was printed in the program, Bruce Stark’s Mischief Dance for Piano and String Orchestra was actually meant as an encore. In any case, Stark wrote it specifically for the Camerata PYP, which gave the world premiere at the concert. Mischief Dance proved to be a sparkling gem of a piece in which all ten of Sánchez-Werner’s digits pranced all over the keyboard with an occasional palm-smash and even an elbow-smash that added to the delightful mischievousness of the music. I hope to hear Mischief Dance again someday soon.

After intermission Sánchez-Werner and Hattner fielded several questions that were submitted by listeners. The funniest was Hattner’s unintentionally reading “Will you marry me?” which sounded as if it came from himself rather than an audience. After some embarrassed laugher, Sánchez-Werner revealed that he already has a sweetheart. Another question asked at what age Sánchez-Werner started at the piano. The answer from the 28-year-old phenom was two – as in two years old. Piano was his first love, and it has remained the only musical instrument he has learned to play.