Chamber and Composers’ Recitals bring students, faculty, community together for a night of music

Joshua Jurchen, Timothy Baker, Dalton Lee, Sophia Roberts, and Lars Gindler performing.

Photo credit: Dylan Buechler

By Dylan Buechler

A trombone small ensemble. Photo: Dylan Buechler.

Around 100 Concordia students, faculty and community members had their ears blessed with instrumental and vocal music from Concordia students during the Chamber Music and Student Composers Recital on Friday. The recital at St. John Lutheran Church was a joint concert between student composers and different chamber musicians and was primarily student-led.

Junior Marieka Kaufman said she enjoyed the concert and the nature of chamber ensembles as student-organized music groups.

“I think this is a really fun way of seeing how people can, like, get their own groups together,” said Kaufman. “Basically, just say, “Hey, friends, you want to do something?’ and they do it, and it sounds really cool.”

Sophomore Richard Peperkorn thought everyone did well and shared his experience of singing for one of the pieces.

Timothy Baker, Dalton Lee, Sophia Roberts, and Lars Gindler performing. Photo: Dylan Buechler.

“It went really well,” he said. “Everyone was well prepared, and they performed to the best of their abilities. I was a part of [junior] Taylor Beal’s ‘If Thou But Trust’ arrangement, and it was very fun, very well done, and a great piece.”

Junior Timothy Baker enjoyed the Concert Duet No. 36 played by sophomore David Eatherton and senior Miriam Ganoung.

“I really liked David and Miriam’s piece, the trombones,” Baker said. “They were just perfectly in tune, perfectly synced. Like, their communication was really good, and they ended it, like, perfectly, too.”

Baker also liked playing in a small chamber piece, saying the small musical group made it easier to hear certain dynamics of the piece.

“Being in a smaller chamber group is always fun,” he said. “I’m in A Cappella, which is a much bigger group. There is something about being in a smaller group. Just the dynamics of everybody was heard.”

Applied Composition Professor Dr. John Kosch had kind words to say about the concert.

The crowd at the recital. Photo: Dylan Buechler.

“I thought it was a nice, varied program,” Kosch said. “I thought students performed well. I certainly enjoyed it. I hope everyone else did as well.”

He encouraged people who are interested in music to look into the different opportunities offered at Concordia.

“The music department is a great, welcoming place to be for majors and non-majors,” Kosch said. “And so, if you are at all curious, you should check it out.”