We had our end-of semester recital in Fairchild Chapel this semester. It was a concert featuring five members of the studio; the sixth, Josefina Stone, had given her senior recital the day before, so was exempt! The Studio Recital tradition began many years prior, as a substitute for the obligatory end-of-semester juries. I’d rather see the students demonstrate their semester’s accomplishments on stage, before their friends (and sometimes, families), than just assess them while sitting in a classroom with no audience beside myself. In this way they take the performance more seriously, and practice harder. They play better and generally get better as a result. We started with Sara Baunoch.

Sara Baunoch performes in Fairchild Chapel

Sara played works by Bogdanovic and Brouwer, Tarrega and Sor’s Variations on Malbroug, Op 28. (The full program is included at the end of the post).

Next up was Solis Dornan. Solis played pieces by Tarrega, Barrios and Rodrigo, including the second movement of the Concierto d’Aranjuez, accompanied by Tommy Roddy-Johnson on the piano.

Our first half concluded with Aleksandr Lapshin. Lapshin played Regondi’s Reverie and Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Capriccio Diabolico. This was a masterful performance.

Caden Basile opened our second-half. He played the full Variations Op, 49 of Giuliani, two Vals Venezolano by Lauro, and Dyens’ Songe Capricorne.