The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields revealed its characteristic energy, agility and musicianship Wednesday night at the Lied Center.

Directed by principal guest conductor Murray Perahia, the program of Mozart, Bach and Beethoven favorites showcased the flexibility of the 40-piece orchestra. Mozart dominated the evening as the orchestra opened with Perahia’s crisp direction of the Adagio and Fugue in C minor. As the composition introduced the sounds of each of the string sections, it also established a pattern of interplay among instruments that surfaced throughout the concert’s program. Particularly impressive in the Adagio were the cello and bass sections that provided substantial but flexible support for the agile tones of the upper strings.

The first half of the concert concluded with the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, with Perahia at the piano as soloist as well as conductor. Although Beethoven uses the interplay between piano and orchestra, he clearly emphasizes the dominance of the pianist as soloist, and Perahia’s dexterous playing produced moments of haunting trills followed by exuberant cadenzas.

The second half of the concert opened with the ever-popular Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major by Bach. The audience appreciated the talented trio work by pianist Perahia, violinist Kenneth Sillito and flutist Michael Cox. Once again, the work was characterized by interplay among the soloists and the orchestra as the theme in the lilting duet of violin and flute moved to solo piano and then returned to the ensemble. The second movement trio also produced some of the evening’s most breathtaking moments of pianissimo sound.

The final selection of the evening returned to Mozart with Symphony No. 41 in C major. Popularly known as the “Jupiter” symphony, its familiar opening strains restored the chamber orchestra to its full strength, then in its inner movements featured the familiar dialogue among sections. The second and third movements included moments with stunning clarity of tone from the winds and lower strings. The final movement was a rousing explosion of sound.

Showing the versatility of the chamber orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields moved effortlessly between sustaining a cohesive ensemble sound to featuring specific instruments and soloists. The ensemble’s balanced expression of each composition’s range of mood resulted in a performance not only technically superb but also emotionally satisfying.

Sarah Young is a lecturer in the Kansas University English department. Her e-mail address is youngsl@ku.edu.