Nine senior music majors demonstrated years of artistic progress through vocal and instrumental performances at their senior recitals.
Senior recitals serve as the thesis project for the university’s music majors, requiring that they organize a performance with at least 45 minutes of consecutive music.
This year, the shows included vocal performances from Meredith Harron, Colin Looby, Isabel Duarte and Garrison Famiglio. Instrumental performances were given by Ava GianGrasso, Juyoung Kim, Camille Ramos, Bill Zheng and Nicholas Rizzo.
Each recital requires months of practice leading up to the senior’s final performance in Wilson Hall.
“I listened to really old recordings [of] myself sometimes from freshman year …There’s been a lot of progress,” said Duarte. “So I think it really showed the growth that we have here.”
Zheng, a senior percussionist, said that his recital helped him recognize his progress as a musician. He said the music he performed highlighted how his technical development and musical interpretation skills have evolved over time
“It’s good to have a [performance] to actually show what you can do,” Zheng said. “There’s some technique I wasn’t able to do … that I can do now.”
When choosing pieces from his program, Zheng decided to incorporate a wide range of solo and ensemble pieces from different genres.
“I play percussion and that is not really a usual instrument,” Zheng said. “I just choose from the things I think would be interesting that can showcase something different.”
Duarte intentionally selected music that would put her to the test, including modern 20th century works and technically challenging pieces.
“A lot of the [music] was super difficult for me. So I was really proud of how far I had come,” Duarte said.
As part of the thesis requirement, music majors must also write program notes that combine components of music theory, history and interpretation.
“It’s synthesizing everything you’ve learned up until this point,” Duarte said.
Duarte said senior recitals are often collaborative projects, as students receive support from the music department for their performances. Throughout Duarte’s process, music professor Gregory Parker offered guidance while serving as her voice teacher and advisor. Duarte also utilized a piano accompaniment by Anna Billias, a lecturer in music who has accompanied Duarte in her performances for the past four years.
Zheng also said that the support he received from the music department played an important role in his recital.
“I think the department itself is very supportive and open to help with anything,” Zheng said.
The recitals were an opportunity for the senior music majors to share their art with their friends and loved ones and receive recognition for four years of work.
Duarte said that she was happy to look into a crowd of audience members who had come to support her.
“Everybody there … I’d known them,” Duarte said. “It was good to look at people that were there for me.”
