School of Music to Present Virtual Senior Honors Concert
The Lee University School of Music will hold its annual Senior Honors Concert, celebrating the performance abilities of some of its most talented students, on Wednesday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. via livestream.
Despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic and the inability to hold the concerts live, the faculty of the School of Music wanted to continue the Senior Honors Concert tradition.
“COVID-19 has made us rethink how we ‘do’ music,” said Dr. Douglas Warner, director of applied studies in music. “So, instead of letting COVID-19 steal another opportunity for our students to perform, the School of Music opted for a new format this year.”
Earlier this semester, the 13 students who were selected to perform at the Senior Honors Concert were recorded individually and then edited together to create a virtual concert in lieu of a live event.
The stud ents performing were selected by members of the applied music faculty. Vocalists include Cecelia Fornuto, soprano; Lindsey Gore, mezzo-soprano; Michelle Motter, soprano; and Kristin Shaffer, soprano. Instrumental performers include Julia Bobell, oboe; Lydia Bobell, flute; Emily Deinken, flute; Aidan Hedrick, piano; William Dalton Hurst, trombone; River Lessig, horn; Aner Luo, violin; Sarah Piatt, flute; and Dakota Steele, marimba.
The students will perform works by Giacomo Puccini, Carl Nielsen, Wolfgang Amadeaus Mozart, Paola Tosti, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Nikolai Medtner, among others.
In addition to the change in format for this year’s concert, the Applied Studies Office has worked alongside Nick Tomasello, recruitment coordinator for the School of Music, to create a new page on the leeumusicconnect.com site. The link https://leeumusicconnect.com/senior-honors-concert/ will take viewers to a page that will include folders for each performer containing their bio, photo, and a link to their individual recording.
“This is a valuable resource for these seniors as they apply and prepare for auditions and interviews for graduate school and prospective employment opportunities,” said Karla Hyder, secretary to applied studies in music. “This link also gives us a place to showcase great talent, and we believe that these students represent the dynamic musicality that the Lee University School of Music offers.”
The April 28 Senior Honors Concert will be available to view via livestream at livestream.com/leeu.
