A capacity crowd greeted the Ars Nova Musicians as they took the stage Sunday for the final concert of the 33rd season of the Viva Vivaldi Festival.

The sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church had excellent acoustics, which allowed for excellent discernment of individual instruments. Conductor Marylouise Nanna used this to her advantage, leading performances rich in tone and detail. Beginning with an ensemble concerto in E minor by Vivaldi, the evening went on to feature soloists, all of whom received a standing ovation.

The highlight was the American premiere of the concerto in Dminor for oboe by contemporary composer Francesco X. Thuri. Soloist Paul Schlossman performed this neo-baroque work, which was stylistically consistent with Vivaldi’s compositions. Passages containing rapid triplets were flawlessly rendered. The andante contained an elegant melody, beautifully played. The lengthy crescendo rose and fell gradually, creating a perfectly executed arc, an effect only great ensembles can pull off.

The B flat major concerto for violin by Vivaldi featured Tea Prokes. Titled “Il Corneto da Posta,” it offered a shadow effect, in which the ensemble restated phrases from the solo violin in call-and-answer fashion. Prokes had an excellent sense of interplay with the ensemble, rendering ornamental flourishes with great agility. During the largo, she played the recapitulation of the main theme with softness and subtlety, reinforcing Vivaldi’s melodic genius.

Following intermission, Loren Silvertrust played the solo in an A major violin concerto by Vivaldi. Silvertrust, who plays first violin in the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, had a bright tone that floated above the ensemble. The many high-register passages, reaching the limit of the instrument, were exceptional. With precision in ornamentation and virtuosity to spare, the rhythmic syncopations had clarity, and well-controlled varying vibrato was used to shade more lengthy notes.

In Vivaldi’s settings of Psalms 113 and 121, the Harmonia Chamber Singers, directed by Robert Pacillo, joined the Ars Nova Musicians for a joyful rendering of the works. They were bright and lively and seemed ahead of their time, almost classical and similar to liturgical works by Haydn. The chorus overall was warm and focused; they sang in perfect tune, with crisp sibilants, allowing focus on the Latin text. Everything was in place and beautiful, one sublime sound after another.

The concert, and this year’s festival, ended with a performance of the hymn “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”

This arrangement, slow in tempo, was a statement rendition, with Hollywood-style strings backing the chorus. Giving depth and meaning to the message, the universal wish embodied by this hymn was apparent in the loving, almost transcendental nature of the gentle yet profound singing.

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Viva Vivaldi Festival

Presented by the Ars Nova Musicians. Sunday evening in First Presbyterian Church, 1 Symphony Circle.