By Joe Crocetta / Herald Mail Media Staff Photographer

As Christina and Michelle Naughton took the stage with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra Sunday, it was almost like each pianist was looking in a mirror.

The Naughtons, 26, who are identical twins, sat at the front of the stage of The Maryland Theatre across from each other as they played their pianos.

Introduced as "emerging superstars" by MSO Music Director Elizabeth Schulze, the twins performed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra No. 10 in E-Flat Major with the MSO.

"It was a novelty seeing two sisters who were young master soloists performing," said Dave Bell, 31, who traveled from Glen Burnie, Md., to see the concert. "It was really interesting."

The only reason concertgoers might have realized that they weren't looking at the reflection of one of the pianists was because they had solos at different times.

But if an attendee turned away from the pianos, it sounded like one person was playing the entire time. The two were that in synch.

"Just watching the girls interact with each other, and taking cues from each other, and synchronizing their playing, it was fun to watch," said Nancy Glen, 62, of Chambersburg, Pa. "It was pretty awesome."

The Naughton twins, who were born in Princeton, N.J., and raised in Madison, Wis., perform recitals together nationally and internationally. They are graduates of The Juilliard School in New York and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and they currently live in New York.

The sisters had been in Hagerstown since Tuesday, spending time in the community before their performances with the MSO on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. They said it was their first time in the area.

"We have enjoyed our stay here immensely," Michelle Naughton said. "The hospitality in the town and the people are so warm."

Christina Naughton added that they enjoyed being able to "share music" with such "enthusiastic musicians."

"It's really such a joy, and we've loved our stay here and are sad to be leaving," she said.

Throughout their week in Hagerstown, the twins met with students from Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, spoke with members of the public about their careers and put on a "run-out" concert at Frostburg State University on Friday, MSO Executive Director Michael Jonnes said.

"They've been very involved in the community, not just coming and playing the music," Jonnes said. "It's been a joy to work with them."

After the concert, members of the audience could purchase CDs of the twins' music, have them signed and meet them.

They said they were scheduled to head back to New York for a performance this week.

Caleb Calhoun is a reporter for The Herald-Mail. He can be reached via email at caleb.calhoun@herald-mail.com.

Twins in synch with each other and Maryland Symphony Orchestra