Scott Turner
In Motion Staff Writer
Lisa Silversmith/In Motion
Daytona State College’s Mike Curb College of Music, Entertainment and Art recently hosted a student recital that presented a variety of instruments and musical styles. The pieces were each distinct to the performers and several of them were accompanied by Richard Butler on the piano.
The show began with Sonata in F Minor by Georg Philipp Telemann, performed by Kristina Nadzam on the euphonium with an accompaniment on the piano. The piece was a traditional style and consisted of three parts, beginning slow then picking up as the song progressed through them.
Alejandro Acevedo, tenor, then took the stage with Gia il sole dal Gange by Alessandro Scarlatti, accompanied by the piano. A beautiful and uplifting piece, Acevedo transitioned smoothly between wide varieties of vocal ranges.
Sonata in G Minor was performed next by Kevin Bogdan on the oboe and Ian Barnett on the bassoon. Consisting of three parts their piece seemed to tell a story, consisting of a buildup, sustain and strong finish. The high and low tones complimented each other very well in this piece.
Shawn Smithwick was scheduled next to perform Nact un Traume, D 827 by Franz Schubert, but was unable to attend due to illness.
Aaron Lilly performed a solo piano piece, Sonata for Piano in c# minor No. 14 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Masterfully working the keys, Lilly gave an incredibly smooth performance that had a calm demeanor, but intensity of sound.
Vaghissima Sembianza by Stefano Donaudy was performed next by Johnathan Perez, tenor, with accompaniment on piano. Perez had incredible projection and passion as he performed the piece and gave it a life and body of his own.
Playing the trombone, Thomas Meeks played “Sonata Vox Gabrieli” by Stjefan Sulek with a piano accompaniment. One of the longer pieces of the evening, it presented a very film noir feel, capturing the sound found in movies like “Casablanca.” The piece itself had a wide variety of tempo and tones and had a very intense demeanor.
William Schoolfield, baritone, sang “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin” from “Porgy and Bess” by George Gershwin, accompanied on the piano. This piece was a musical change, being more American folk style and less traditional classical. Schoolfield gave a very energetic performance, conveying the song incredibly well.
On trumpet, Brad Skibo then played “Sonata for Trumpet, Movement 1” by Kent Kennan, with accompaniment on piano. The piece had an impressive array of tempo variance and intensity, having a mixed tone that combined classical sound with that of American western.
The final piece of the day, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from “Carousel” by Richard Rodgers, was performed by Vanessa Jenkins, soprano, with piano accompaniment. A slow and somewhat somber song, Jenkins gave a powerful performance that conveyed the underlying message of tenacity and hope perfectly, finishing the performance on a strong note.
The Student Recital was held at the News-Journal Center on April 17 at 2:30 p.m.