On Sunday, Sept. 20, the Student Honors Recital took place at UW-Platteville. It was an amazing concert that showcased the hard work of the talented students here. The students chosen for this recital were students who, in the eyes of the jury they performed in front of, distinguished themselves from other students. Now, that also brings up the question, “what is a jury?”

 In this context, students who are taking lessons from faculty have to go in front of a jury that is made up of some members of said faculty and perform a piece that they were working on during the semester. This could be a whole solo or a small excerpt, and the students chosen for this recital showed why they were chosen. 

The concert kicked off with a marimba solo, “Little Things for Five Octave Marimba” by Ivan Trevino, performed by Jordan Larson-Sell. This solo was a great start to the recital and really set the tone for the whole performance. The execution and the rhythm was amazing and showcased why Larson-Sell deserved to be on stage. 

Next up was a mezzo-soprano named Elyse Harvancik, who performed “Parto, parto ma tu, ben mio” from La Clemenza by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This solo was quite the turn from the marimba solo, but a welcome one at that. The vocalist sounded wonderful, though the lyrics were difficult to comprehend. The vocalist’s diction and enunciation were clear, and on top of that, their singing was phenomenal. The control that they showcased over their voice was astonishing. 

After that there was another vocalist, named Nathan Greve, a tenor who sang “There Will Be Stars” by John Duke. Though this one was a short performance, it still showcased why the vocalist was chosen to be up on stage. The song had a nice ballad feel to it and the execution was wonderful.

Following up that solo was an alto saxophonist named Hayley Greene, who performed Fantaisie sur “Le Freschutz” by Jerome Savari. This was a solo to be witnessed in person. The saxophonist showed off their technical ability and the hard work that they put into their practicing. This solo was full of runs that showed off the sound of the saxophone, and sounded quite difficult, yet Hayley Greene made it sound seamlessly easy. 

After that, we returned to a vocalist, a mezzo-soprano named Amanda Bisbach, who performed “Songs of the Countryside” by Michael Head. The vocalist showed her range and accuracy.

Daniel Myers, a trumpet player who performed “Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, movement II. Andante” by Joseph Haydn. Myers walked onto the stage in a light pink suit, distinguishing himself yet again. His performance was a wonderful one; the vibrato in his playing and his musicality got to be shown off that night, with wonderful phrases that were well executed. 

Following up was a soprano named Emma Wagner, who performed “Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (The Chariot)” by Aaron Copland. This song kept with the ballad feeling and really showed the consistency that the vocalist had when it came to long melodic phrases. After that, a baritone named Keaton Payne performed “Aimons-nous” by Camille Saint-Saëns. This solo was similar to the first vocalist’s piece in that it was in a different language, but that did not take away from the performance. The romantic feeling that was given off during the performance was nice and calming. The baritone filled up the auditorium nicely. 

Next up was Jonathan Grorud, a trombone player who performed Concertino Op. 4 in E flat Major Movements II. Andante, and III. Allegro Maestoso by Ferdinand David. This solo was a complex one. Grorud got to show off his technical abilities on the trombone. A piece that really showed the range that can be heard and the articulations that can come out of said instrument were nothing short of memorable. 

Up next was Abby Goodhall, a soprano who sang “Andero, volero, gridero from Orlando finto pazzo” by Antonio Vivaldi. This piece showed the mastery Goodhall had over her voice, by requiring quick jumps that showed just how much work she put into this piece. 

After that we welcomed back Elyse Harvancik, but now she is playing a piano piece called Etude Op. 10, No. 5 in G flat major by Fryderyk Chopin. This solo was a complicated one, involving fast moving notes that seemed to run up and down the whole range of the piano, but they were executed with precision, all while making it look easy without breaking a sweat.

 We end off the recital with Rebecca Polheber, a clarinet player who performed “Concerto for Clarinet” by Artie Shaw, and this performance was one to behold. This blend of jazz with a straight sounding ballad was interesting, to say the least. Polheber got to show off not only her melodic abilities, but also her technical ones with fast note runs that seemed to move in the way a roller-coaster would, with twist turns and loops. 

The Student Honors Recital was an amazing concert and congratulations to all the students that were chosen to be up on stage. It really showcased the talented students that we have here at UW-Platteville.