Paloma So ’23 (top) and Je-won Im ’23 (bottom) performed in the recent recital.
Walking by St. John Chapel this past Sunday afternoon, you would have been immediately immersed by the soothing melodies of the instrumental music recital that showcased the talent of a dozen students, from freshman to senior.
Yoyo Zhang ’24, who has been playing the flute since fourth grade, performed “Sicilienne,” by Gabriel Fauré, a solo piece accompanied by the piano. Her interest for flute stemmed from her childhood curiosity to simply “try it out,” Zhang stated. Through years of practice and the sense of fulfillment she experienced with flute, her interest became a passion, empowering her to pursue it ever since.
Zhang began practicing “Sicilienne” with her Choate flute teacher last year and decided to perform it in this past recital. “I couldn’t get a chance to perform it last year because we didn’t have any recitals, so I wanted to play it in front of an audience at least once.” More importantly, Zhang hopes to share the unique connection and serenity she felt when performing the piece with the audience. “It’s very relaxing, so when I play it, I feel very calm. The piece is very flowy and light, so it helps me relieve stress.”
Paloma So ’23, another performer, particularly enjoys the judgement-free zone of the Choate audience. “I really like the Choate atmosphere, because everyone who is there is there to enjoy the music and not to judge others,” So said.
So performed two movements — “Obsession” and “Les Furies” — from “Violin Sonata No. 2” by Eugène Ysaÿe. The melody of these pieces are based on a cantus firmus, the fundamental melody where more complex notes can be added. “I chose this piece to play because it’s very powerful and I really enjoy playing it.” She further remarked on “the cool effect of the cantus firmus being hidden in many passages that some people don’t notice.”
Max Xu ’22, an upright bass player in the Music Arts Concentration program, performed “Straight No Chaser,” by Thelonious Monk and “Autumn Leaves,” by Joseph Kosma with the Jazz Combo. Xu was first introduced to upright bass in third grade, and he chose this particular instrument because “it could beat all the other instruments in a fight if it wanted to,” according to his third-grade-self. Furthermore, upright bass enabled Xu to play every genre possible, ranging from classical to jazz. “After learning how to play upright bass, you can also apply that skill to play bass guitar, so you can then play pop.”
Even though all Jazz Combo members are familiar with the pieces performed, Xu still profoundly enjoyed every practice they had together. “One of the main things for a small Jazz Combo is communication. Let’s say someone was soloing; when they are close to done performing, they would look at the rest of the members and we would all look at the next person soloing,” said Xu. Xu further noted that although everyone knew the order of solo performance beforehand, this type of communication improves the flow of the piece, making it sound more coherent and spontaneous.
Another sentiment that Xu shared regarding the recital performance was as follows: “I was more scared thinking that I needed to hit these chord changes during the performance. I think our practices are generally better than the actual recital because I’m less worried in a relaxing setting,” Xu said.
So echoed the same feeling: “Sometimes my favorite part of violin is performing and sometimes it’s just playing the pieces I like to play.”
With the closing of the instrumental recital last Sunday, the music recital (voice and piano) will take place this Sunday in the Chapel at 2pm.
