Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor
Considering it was 11 a.m. on a Thursday, there was quite a crowd gathered in the small foyer of Smith Music Hall, a petite building tucked away in the northwest corner of Western’s campus.
The Fall term student recital was held on Nov. 15. The recital contained a total of 12 acts. Most, if not all, music majors are required to be in a certain amount of recitals in order to graduate.
The acts included guitar and voice performances, piano and voice performances, piano and horn performances (tuba and french horn), but the majority of acts were solo piano numbers.
Smith Hall is old, with an abundance of fake plants and drab floors and walls. The compositions chosen by the performers accentuated how truly aged the building is.
The numbers performed were mostly classical compositions, born from multiple composers: Barat, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Hadyn, Bartok, Brahms and Schuman. Two songs composed by 20th century musicians Schuman and Barber were also performed.
An original song was also performed by Stacy Henle, titled “Kindness.” Stacy sang and accompanied herself on guitar.
Student pianists showcased their talents throughout the performance. Among the pianists whose performances really stood out were Meiyi Liu, Lingyu Zhu, Yun Xia and Andrea Roesel. The musicality and animation that these artists had in their performances captivated the audience.
Another student with an unforgettable performance was Virtue Cornelison. Cornelison sang Vergebliches Ständchen, a German song by Brahms, and was accompanied by Jackie Morelli on piano. Virtue’s passion was obvious, and the intrigue of the audience was palpable. Everyone in attendance was drawn in, silent, paying attention to Cornelison’s rich voice and big personality.
Joshua Mendoza, a second year music major, was the first to perform. He played “Introduction and Dance” by J.E. Barat on the tuba, while being accompanied on the piano. “The student recital is a good opportunity for students (music majors especially) to give a real performance and show off the repertoire they have been working on this term,” Mendoza stated.
Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu
