That’s a nice compliment, thx! I myself expected a little more growth overall. Especially the left side is rather thin/weak. The tree seems to be in good health though, which is the main thing.
I definitely plan to heavily cut back the upright, but only during dormancy, in order to maximize growth response. Does that sound right?
Miki, I’m sure pruning the vertical back this winter is fine. Next year, keep an eye on it and do repeated trimmings keeping it short. I have some pears too, agonizingly slow to fill out the first tier. I’ve decided to think of it more as developing a work of art in slow motion, an exterior bonsai experience.
