Wow! I left Sacred Heart Catholic Church Founders Hall Saturday night, May 22, absolutely mesmerized by what I had just heard and seen.

For approximately two hours maestro David Michael Wolff led 12 brilliant young musicians and two soloists through a ­magnificent program of classical music. Mozart, Bach, Bartok and Rachmaninoff were all highlighted, as well as other lesser known masters.

Solos included a medley of six Romanian folk dances, performed by Mia Dietrich on violin, winner of the Carolina Philharmonic’s first annual Concerto Competition; Concerto for Double-Bass, ­performed by Brian Krauss; Sonata for Cello and Piano, performed by Nate Leyland on cello and Wolff on piano; and, finally, an Eric Ewazen composition, Down a River of Time, Concerto for Oboe and String Orchestra, performed by Erik Larson. This last piece will be performed again at Carnegie Hall on March 3, 2011, and the composer plans to be in attendance.

Wolff has a resume too long to list here, but it includes a master’s degree under the direction of Byron Janis, celebrated student of Vladimir Horowitz. He has won ­international piano competitions, presented in Carnegie Hall, performed across Europe, Asia and America.

Wolff also has become an accomplished director, having studied in Rome for three years, and has advanced to become the ­principal conductor of the Manhattan Chamber Philharmonic, as well as the Carolina Philharmonic.

The uniqueness of the experience Saturday night was that each of the 100-plus attendees was just a few feet from the ­performers. I could feel the music sound waves, see the intenseness of the artists and sense their emotional attachment to the music.

The next performance — titled “Honor Thy Father …” — will be presented Father’s Day, June 20, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 4 p.m.

The concert is free, with a donation greatly appreciated.

John A. Hoffmann

West End