Teddy Abrams made his conducting debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in performances March 13–16. Ray Chen, also making his debut, performed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, and Abrams finished out the program with Michael Tilson Thomas’s Whitman Songs, sung by Grammy-winning bass-baritone Dashon Burton, and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

Ahead of the concert, Boston Herald highlighted Abrams’ connection with his audience, noting, “Like his mentor, like Bernstein and Whitman, Abrams has pioneered engagement between artist and audience.”

Boston Classical Review commended the performance of MTT’s Whitman Songs: “That the maestro drew such sensitive playing from the BSO in this complicated, unfamiliar music speaks to his considerable abilities. The Songs’ unpredictable rhythmic schemes spoke securely. Balances, too, were smartly managed, this despite Tilson Thomas’s frequent low-tessitura writing for the soloist.”

The Boston Musical Intelligencer enthused, “Abrams led the orchestra with immaculate ensemble and in close sympathy with Chen’s interpretation.”

Writing about the violin concerto, Arts Fuse noted, “Abrams led an accompaniment that was sensitive to the soloist’s every turn. He laid back on the tempo to allow phrases to breathe, but pushed the throttle down when he needed to burn rubber. The audience rewarded the musicians with a rousing ovation — even after the first movement. By the concerto’s end, everyone was on their feet.” Of the remainder of the evening, the review continued, “The second half of the program showcased the conductor’s ability to work with greater nuance and sensitivity. Abrams cast a commanding presence on the podium. Grand, sweeping gestures reflected his feel for the big picture, though details emerged with just the right amount of flair.”