The Sonoma State Department of Music held its department recital at 1 p.m. Monday, April 14, in Schroeder Hall, showcasing performances of various works student musicians prepared outside of class. The department recital is one of many opportunities given to SSU music students to perform and organize ensembles of their own. The program included works by famous composers such as Maurice Ravel and Antonín Dvořák and student-composed pieces.
The recital began with a performance by Miranda Ronan and Samuel Strong on violin and Andy Ting on viola, playing a movement from Dvořák’s Terzetto, a Romantic-era chamber piece from 1887. Ting leads the Sonoma County String Collective, a chamber orchestra group that provides live musical entertainment for events like weddings and dinners throughout Sonoma County.
“We were organized by Marilyn Thompson, the director of chamber music, because we didn’t have a string quartet after COVID,” said Ting. “After our first department recital performance, we just took off.”
The collective was later joined by Ella Hoffman on cello for a movement from String Quartet in F Major by Maurice Ravel. This beautiful and dynamic composition featured sweeping strings and delicate melodies. This piece highlighted the individual players’ strengths and musical compatibility as a group.
“The department recital gives our quartet a goal for our rehearsals — we’re all good friends and get along really well, so sometimes we’re a little too silly,” said Ting“ But when a performance is coming up, we all lock in.”
While the recital program mainly featured classical music performances, the SSU Music Department has a rich pool of talent in areas like composition and jazz. Ting, Ronan, and Hoffman were later featured again on An Untraditional Trio for Strings, a piece composed by Ezra Costa, a student at SSU and a composition major. Costa’s senior recital, a performance required for all music majors displaying their knowledge and skills at the end of their four-year curriculum, took place on April 5 in Schroeder Hall and featured a set of original compositions.
“I started putting together my recital over a year ago. I wanted to give each piece the attention it deserved,” said Costa. “I can do anything I put my mind to when I surround myself with colleagues who are supportive and willing to critique my work. They are a big part of why I am the musician I am today.”
The supportive nature of the music department begins in the classroom. Music faculty such as department chair Andy Collinsworth lead ensembles and teach courses with the goal of inspiring a new generation of performers and teachers.
“It takes a lot of courage to stand in front of people and deliver, and requires great preparation and focus. There’s a lot of skills that transcend music that people learn from performances: collaborating, working as a team member and an independent thinker,” said Collinsworth. “We are responsible for cultivating a community of musicians and setting a path for them to be successful in multiple walks of life.”
Other performances included Sonata for Flute and Piano by Francis Poulenc played by Sydney Cook, a piece featuring soaring flute arpeggios accompanied and echoed by Marilyn Thompson on piano, and Sur les cimes by Eugene Bozza, performed by Jason Whitney on French horn, whose commanding tone piqued the attention of the hall before settling into a mellow theme. Vocalists Casey Sorensen and Corwin Wilson performed renditions of Clifford Shaw’s “The Nightingale” and John Duke’s “I Carry Your Heart” respectively, both accompanied by pianist Yvonne Wormer.
The recital ended with a bang — literally —, as the SSU Percussion Ensemble performed three movements from William Kraft’s Suite for Percussion. A unique selection of music and instruments was featured, making for a wonderful afternoon at the Green Music Center. Tickets are free for SSU students for upcoming performances including the SSU Concert Jazz Ensembles on May 6, Concert Band on May 7 and Wind Ensemble on May 8.
