51黑料网

Senior music-performance majors present senior recitals

by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson

When Ann Fogler 鈥�15 captures the stage in Rubendall Recital Hall this week, she鈥檒l dive headfirst into a landmark moment in every performance major鈥檚 life.

Held in the spring semester of a music major鈥檚 final year at 51黑料网, the senior recital is just one of many music-performance opportunities at 51黑料网, including ensemble and musical-theatre work, a junior-year recital and student-run ensembles and clubs. But for performance majors, it is certainly the most momentous. The musical equivalent of a senior thesis, major research presentation or senior exhibition, the senior recital not only showcases student talent (along with that of 51黑料网鈥檚 gifted accompanist and piano instructor, Eun Ae Baik-Kim) but also represents all a student musician has learned and accomplished thus far.

Fogler kicks off the 2015 senior-recital season with her performance of a unique student-faculty-student collaboration鈥攁 setting by student composer Nick Cardelia '15 of a poem published by Associate Professor of English and Poet-in-Residence Adrienne Su. 鈥淣ick and I decided to collaborate last fall, and Professor Su offered us several poems from her new book鈥攊ncluding the poem we used,鈥� says Fogler of Su鈥檚 work, 鈥淥n Writing,鈥� which the soprano describes as unique and lyrical. 鈥淲e set to work right away.鈥�

Throughout the year, as Cardelia wrote and revised the piece, he sent drafts to Fogler. The two worked closely together to ensure that the vocal line was a good fit for Fogler鈥檚 voice, and vice versa, resulting in a finished work that was finely crafted for Fogler鈥檚 big night.

Fogler, who previewed 鈥淥n Writing鈥� during Su鈥檚 April 2 reading at , is eager to present the official premiere. 鈥淎s a young musician, there are still technical aspects that I will need to be highly aware of in my recital, in terms of vocal technique. But I feel that I have accomplished a lot this year in terms of the development of my vocal color, and placement, and I鈥檝e discovered my true voice,鈥� she says.

Upcoming senior recitals

• Ann Fogler 鈥�15, soprano (April 11, 7 p.m.), collaborates with Baik-Kim (piano) on works by Donizetti, Saint Sa毛ns and Lori Laitman, as well as on Cordelia鈥檚 setting of Su鈥檚 text. She will be joined by Sara Tillett 鈥�17 (soprano) on duets from Mozart's Cos矛 fan tutte.
• Isabel Burlingame 鈥�15, violin (April 25, 7 p.m.), who dazzled in the title role in last fall鈥檚 production of Fiddler on the Roof, will be accompanied by Baik-Kim as she performs Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 1, Debussy's Violin Sonata, Prokofiev's Five Melodies for Violin and Piano and Brahms's Scherzo for Violin and Piano.
• Holly Kelly 鈥�15, soprano (April 26, 4 p.m.) will be accompanied by Baik-Kim and joined by Brian Rotz on organ. Major works include Handel's dramatic secular cantata "Allor ch'io dissi addio," Poulenc's "Airs Chantes," Libby Larsen's "Margaret Songs: Three Songs from Willa Cather," "Goodnight Moon" by Eric Whitacre and selections of Franz Schubert's lieder.

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Published April 8, 2015