In the midst of a severe winter storm when heavy snow, high winds, and ice storms caused havoc and a quarter of million households went without power, there appeared a bright star at the Beneroya Seattle Symphony Hall, Saturday night. The Seattle audience who dared travel to downtown Seattle were treated to an elegant performance of composer Peteris Vasks’ 1998 concerto, “Distant Light”, conducted by Olari Elts, a broadly admired and talented Estonian symphony orchestra conductor. The Seattle Times in their Monday, 23 January edition had this to say about Olari Elts: “Saturday’s performance was led by Estonian Olari Elts, 40, another of the new crop of talented up-and-coming conductors we are seeing more of these days.
