"Winning" Student Musicians Will Be Featured in February Concert

Student soloists in the February 19 concert will be (l-r) Anna Jensen, Aaron Lohmeyer, Erin Rafferty, Sharon Meidt, Molly Strand, and Jessica Forsberg. (Photo by Stratton Lawrence)

Six student musicians will be featured soloists as the Davidson College Symphony Orchestra takes the stage on Tuesday, February 19. Under the direction of Associate Professor Milton Crotts, the orchestra will present a varied repertoire highlighting performances of six student musicians who won the honor last November in the music department’s concerto and aria competition. They are vocalists Sharon Meidt ’03 and Anna Jensen ’03, cellists Molly Strand ’02 and Jessica Forsberg ’04, saxophonist Aaron Lohmeyer ’02, and flutist Erin Raffety ’04.

The free, public performance will include selections by Mahler, Villa-Lobos, Griffes, Mozart, and Vivaldi, beginning at 8 p.m. in Love Auditorium of Chambers Building.

The concerto and aria competition has been conducted annually since 1998, giving student musicians the opportunity to prepare a musical selection that features their instruments, and to demonstrate a deep understanding of the piece through its performance.

Although it’s a called a “competition,” students don’t compete against each other. The event resembles an audition, in which the students are challenged to do their best with the music, and judges give awards only to those players they consider outstanding. Some years there may be no awards at all. Or, as was the case this year, multiple students may be selected. The judges base their decision on attention to tempo, phrasing, proper intonation, and understanding of the work beyond technical perfection.

“You wouldn’t play Villa-Lobos the way you play Bach,” Crotts said. “Even if everything is technically perfect, you must still convey the spirit and expressiveness the music requires.”

This year’s competition was adjudicated by two professors from the UNC-Greensboro School of Music.

The music department provides many resources for students interested in participating. In the Presser Music Library, students may listen to other interpretations of the piece and to other music of the period. Studio teaching associates and music professionals in the area are available for private lessons, which are required for students who wish to enter the competition. Students also spend much of their rehearsal time with Patty McBrayer, a professionally trained accompanist who helps students prepare, and performs alongside them at the competition.

“It’s a wonderful experience that undergraduates usually only experience at a conservatory,” said Jacquelyn Culpepper, a studio teaching associate for voice.

The music must be performance-ready by the time of the competition, but even after they are selected there is still much rehearsal and other preparation required for the concert performance. “What you hear, and how it feels to sing with a piano, is very different than with an orchestra,” Culpepper noted. “Vocalists also have to learn to communicate emotionally with the face, and not let it interfere with the sound production.”

Studio associate for flute Lisa Ransom added, “For a big performance like this you must prepare to project over the orchestra into a large hall, be aware of the orchestra’s part, and be aware of the conductor.” The soloists must memorize their music, study the orchestra score, and continue to develop their interpretation of the musical and expressive aspect of the piece as they go from the studio to the front of the orchestra.

Of course, since most of them have studied their instrument from a very early age, students often have their own personal rituals to prepare for performances and competitions. Soprano Anna Jensen, who will perform “Wir Geniessen die Himmlischen Freuden” from Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, selected the piece by flipping a coin. Flutist Erin Raffety has been playing since she was four years old, but admits she still gets nervous before she performs. She selected her piece, “Poem” by Griffes, because she found it beautiful, modern, and challenging.

Sharon Meidt will sing an aria from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro and another from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. “Fantasia” by Villa-Lobos will feature Aaron Lohmeyer on the tenor saxophone, and cellists Molly Strand and Jessica Forsberg will team up for Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Cellos in G Minor.

Although he has no involvement with selection of the pieces for the concert, Crotts is pleased with the repertoire this year’s soloists selected. He is also excited about the growing number of students interested in the competition. He said provides students with valuable performance experience, and demonstrates their talent and dedication. He said, “For the students, being in the competition is a ‘win’ in itself.”

Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,600 students. Since its establishment in 1837, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine. Davidson is engaged in “Let Learning Be Cherished,” a $250 million campaign in support of student financial assistance, academic resources, and community life.