By Joseph Jaquinto
Correspondent
Few words were spoken throughout Mayo Concert Hall. Instead, the air was filled with the powerful reverberations of violins, violoncellos and guitars, which were accompanied by the ever-present notes of masterful pianists. The College’s Piano and String Ensemble performed its spring concert on Saturday, April 27 at 8 p.m.
From the time the audience found their seats to the grand finale of the recital, the only sounds that could be heard were from the performer’s instruments and the roaring applause of the crowd.
“It’s nice to have people I care about out in the audience, and no matter what happens, they’ll be supportive,” said senior music education major and violinist Christopher McEwan.
McEwan performed two of the arrangements, which included the finale piece, “Piano Trio in E Flat Major D” by Franz Schubert. The song rang throughout the hall and ended the night on a memorable note. McEwan also performed, “Solo Sonata No. 1 in G Minor” by Bach, which was then broken down into two sub performances. The piece flowed from one measure to the next, easily capturing the crowd’s attention.
Another crowd-pleasing piece was “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla. The piece was played with a fiery passion that rang throughout the concert hall.
Three violinists, including McEwan, and four pianists played throughout the concert. Laureanna Holgado, a sophomore music major, was pleasantly surprised with her performance.
“I was nervous, but happy with how it came out,” she said.
Holgado contributed to the upbeat opening performance with “Sonata No. 1 in C Major, Op. 40, No. 1” by Jean-Baptiste Breval, which opened the show perfectly with its lively notes. She also performed the famous solo “Arabesque No. 1” by Claude Debussy, which soothed the crowd with its melodic tones and meditative notes.
Another soothing, though not as charming, piece was “Rhapsody No.1” by Jessie Montgomery. As a much more modern piece, its soothing tone had a more mournful and eerie feel, which ended the night on a vengeful note.
Preparation for the concert required intense focus from the students, who began preparing months in advance.
“We’ve been practicing since the summer and I performed my piece last year, too,” Holgado said. “Then there were lessons and assistance from professors.”
The crowd filtered out and family members congratulated the performers on a job well done. Support could be felt from throughout the crowd, as every number was met with thunderous applause.
