I did 7 Concerti with the Florida Philharmonic and got a nice review:
By MORCIO BEZERRA Special To The Daily News Thursday, March 20, 2003
The Florida Philharmonic concert Tuesday at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts was titled Harmonica Spectacular. And spectacular was not only the harmonica, but the philharmonic as well.
Joined by harmonica player Robert Bonfiglio, the philharmonic performed the unusual and rarely heard Concerto for Harmonica by Heitor Villa-Lobos. Written during the composer's final years, the work has soulful movements where virtuosity and expression are handled with mastery.
Bonfiglio's performance elevated the concerto from a mere curiosity. His flamboyant stage presence and seemingly endless palette of colors made a strong case for an instrument of such humble origins.
Those origins received a tribute in the three encores given by Bonfiglio. In them, he rendered homage to blues - legends Sonnyboy Williamson, Junior Wells, and Muddy Waters. While three encores would seem rather eccentric and self-centered, the little opportunity concert-going audiences have to hear the harmonica played in such spectacular way justified Bonfiglio's extravagance.