Students Perform First Piano Recital In New Music Performance Program
Piano students in the Music Performance program presented their first recital on Dec. 9 in the Black Box Theater in the Liberal Arts and Arts and Humanities Building.
Andrea Edwards, acting program director, said students embraced the challenges and opportunities offered within the new program, and this chance to perform what they learned over the semester.
“The result is a successful series of vibrant performances delivered with artistry and excellence,” she said. “These shared experiences and performances form the core of the culture of ‘enquiry through performance’ we are building in the new Music Performance program.”
Cameron Chin, Grace Lunsford, Ricky Miller, Gavin Orris, Yuna Lo and Myles Murphy performed in the recital.
Lo, a junior Performance and Visual Studies student, performed three works: “Minuetto” by Domenico Scarlatti; “Toccatina in Black and White,” by Robert D. Vandall; and she was joined by Murphy for “Theme from Polovetzian Dances” by Alexander Borodin.
This was Lo’s first semester learning piano from Edwards. Within 12 individual lessons, she learned three pieces for the recital while learning about music theory.
“Professor Edwards has been very supportive and a helpful teacher in every way possible,” Lo said. “She is a very thoughtful and an experienced musician that goes above and beyond to ensure success in our music.”
Lo said the recital felt like a welcoming space to perform for friends and family.
“I really just enjoyed every moment of it,” she said. “I’m looking forward to creating and building more music performances and collaboration with our students and faculty.”
Murphy, a junior Computer Science student, performed two works: “Sonata in D major, Hob XVI:37” by Franz Joseph Haydn; and “Arabesque 2: Allegretto Scherzando” by Claude Debussy. He said he was excited to collaborate with Lo and perform the “Polovetzian Dance” duet.
“I learned how to appear confident and continue playing,” he said. “Even if I made a mistake during the performance, I kept going.”
Other performances included Grace Lunsford on “Regrets,” composed by Robert D. Vandall. Ricky Miller performed “The Cuckoo,” composed by Louis-Claude Daquin; and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” by Fats Waller, arranged by Lee Evans. Gavin Orris performed “Pineapple Rag” by Scott Joplin; and performed and arranged “Requiem of Silence” by Kenchiro Suehiro. Cameron Chin performed “Etude #4 ‘Embraceable You’” by Earl Wild; and “Sonata No. 5” by Alexander Scriabin.
Edwards said she is proud of her students, and noted that “excellence in performance can only be achieved with equal excellence in preparation.”
“The recital is evidence of their talent and dedication,” she said. “The wonderful bonus for me is that they are genuinely wonderful people, too. This is only the beginning — I can’t wait to hear what’s next.”
Top photo: Yuna Lo and Myles Murphy perform. Photo by Jacob Svetz.
