On Saturday Oct. 20, the department of music presented its annual Honors Competition Recital, featuring pieces performed by some of the top Geneseo music students.
The students, representing majors in numerous departments across the college, displayed their distinguished vocal and instrumental talents. Performances showcased a wide range of students with accompaniment by faculty pianists Alan Case and Linda Boianova.
The piece selection was diverse, with a variety of musical genres to enjoy including solos from the classical and romantic periods, musical theater selections and operatic songs.
Junior Emi Okada opened the recital, giving an emotional performance of Chopin’s Piano Scherzo No. 3. The melody’s sweet plinks contrasted excitingly with the piece’s darker moments. Sophomore Rebecca Miller also displayed great emotion, giving dramatic expression to Brahms’ clarinet sonata and playing well off the melodious parts of the piano accompaniment.
Mozart’s Sonata in D for Piano and Violin was a delightful duet between seniors Hannah Garfield on violin and Sarah DeMarco on piano. The students’ excellent execution enhanced this playful conversation.
Senior vocalists Alex Mendes and Julia Masotti were similarly striking. Mendes’s facial expressions perfectly conveyed the emotions of love and hurt she was singing about, and Masotti seemed like she was actually acting in a musical. Both students had strong and beautiful voices. The other vocalist, tenor senior David Keyes, performed two Tosti pieces, skillfully articulating the Italian lyrics.
Other highlights included Saint-Saens’ “The Swan,” performed by senior Erin Pipe, which was a gorgeous tune well-suited for the cello’s resonant tone, and a Mozart melody performed on violin by sophomore Regina Carra that perfectly complimented the quick-moving notes of the piano.
Senior Louis Lohraseb closed the recital. His wonderful rendition of a Schubert piano sonata displayed passion and skilled technique. His subtle stylistic changes were especially enjoyable, underscoring his experience and preparation. This piece was a perfect end to the afternoon of outstanding student performances.