New Music Geneseo performed a riveting concert on Friday April 17 in Doty Recital Hall. This concert included a variety of musical pieces, including everything from vocal performances to piano solos. The show began and ended with a vocal and piano duet. It opened with a performance of “Nos Iremos” composed by junior Amelia Yousey.
Assistant professor of music Pamela Kurau is a soprano vocalist. At times, Kurau’s incredible voice almost overpowered pianist and instrumental coach Linda Boianova.
Alongside Boianova’s accompaniment, Nazareth College’s Amy Cochrane impressed with her soprano vocals. Their range and strength stood out when she closed the concert with American composer Joseph Schwantner’s “Two Poems of Agueda Pizarro.” This number expressed dynamic variety with Cochrane also whistling and playing chimes.
Second in the night, two flutists demonstrated their extraordinary skills with a piece entitled “Maya,” composed by British flutist Ian Clarke. Boianova played alongside Emily Lockwood and senior Gina Vecere, each whom expressed their abilities for quick fingerings as well as long, sustained playing.
Boianova and adjunct faculty member Glennda Dove-Pellito formed another piano and flute combination. The duo performed “Song for Flute” composed by junior Brian Buggy. The number had a darker, more dramatic tone in comparison to the other, which was a more jovial sounding flute number.
“Duo for Violin & Viola” was a beautiful piece composed by sophomore Jonathon Tilles. Violinist and faculty member Peter Povey and viola player Alexander Pena played an enchanting, full-sounding number.
After consistently accompanying other musicians, Boianova played two solo pieces on the piano. Both demonstrated her excellent abilities, including “Suite for Piano”—a suite in four parts, composed by sophomore Cameron Horvath. She stole the spotlight with her pieces, showcasing her musical talents.
One standout piece was “Tadpole” composed by sophomore Chris Jonas. This piece had a jazzy tone, with instrumentalists playing the trumpet, piano, bass and drums. While there was a quartet on stage, trumpet player and adjunct faculty member Mark Collins’ great technical skill was particularly notable.
Some of the most interesting pieces of the night were those of American minimalist composer Steve Reich. Povey explained the “organic minimalism” audience members would be experiencing—music involving little variety in its phrasing.
“Clapping Music” by Reich sounded exactly as its name says. Five musicians took the stage and performed a song solely using their hands, clapping to various rhythms.
Povey then performed another Reich piece on his violin called “Violin Phase.” In this piece, the same phrases of music were repeated throughout. Povey pre-recorded himself several times playing the phrases at different speeds. During the performance, he then played live against his own recordings—producing a very remarkable sound.
New Music provided a performance that was dynamic in musical style, while each piece was uniquely captivating.