The next generation of renowned soloists and symphonies is within walking distance, and asking for listeners.
With major venues so close to campus, it is easy to overlook some of the less-advertised concert halls. Just outside Morningside Heights, though, Columbia students have the chance to hear a program a bit more eccentric than most of the music performed in the nearby Avery Fisher Hall.
Last week, Juilliard students performed part of an ongoing concert series, Sonatenabend. True to its name, “sonata evening” in German, the program invites Juilliard students, their professors, and the community to a casual performance by young musicians in the newly renovated Juilliard building on 66th Street and Broadway.
For most New York students enjoying the classical music scene, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center Rush Tickets are an obvious choice. But with a lineup of students emerging from some of the world’s most intensive music programs, conservatory student recitals offer the perfect solution for students on a budget looking for an engaging show.
In addition to boasting some of the nation’s best young musicians, the series offers works by more obscure composers. While Schumann and Liszt provided a familiar sound at last week’s recital, Ned Rorem’s “Night Music,” a suite composed for violin and piano, brought eerie and dissonant melodies to the audience’s ears.
Though perhaps a bit less accessible, bizarre musical dialogues such as this are compelling. With a surprising deviation from the Romantic composers on the program, Rorem’s haunting depictions such as “Mosquitoes and Earthworms” added an interesting balance to the repertoire.
Student recitals happen on a regular basis at music schools—the opportunity to perform holds as prominent a role in music education as instruction and practice.
Still, sitting in the audience in Juilliard’s Paul Hall is nothing like it is at Carnegie Hall. The audience wears casual clothing and the performance sheds many of the typical formalities. The focus is on the music, and people seem to know it as students eagerly listen to their classmates.
Just a short distance from the quad, Columbia students can access some of the best music in the city at no cost. Not long ago, today’s classical stars such as Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman were performing at the same free recitals for the public.
The next Sonatenabend will be held on February 18th, and the experience definitely merits the trip. It’s free, and the performers ask for nothing more than an audience.
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