Saturday, February 7, 2015 marks the 55th annual Concerto Aria.
The Concerto Aria is a concert that showcases the musical talent that we have here on the Goshen College campus. There are auditions each year in the fall, where students prepare a piece to perform in front of music faculty. The faculty members then make a decision based on the quality and complexity of the performance.“The selection process can be very tedious,” said Dustin George-Miller, the Music Center office coordinator. Students spend a long time preparing for the Concerto Aria auditions.
Although the auditioning process can be scary, Seth Yoder, senior performer in the upcoming Concerto Aria concert, was more than satisfied with his audition.
“The audition itself felt great. While auditioning, I experienced that flow,” Yoder said.
Lon Sherer, a professor and conductor for the GC orchestra, introduced the concert to Goshen College. There have been 55 concerts held since—including this weekend’s upcoming concert.
This year there are seven winners performing in the concert: seniors Jorge Abreyu Toyens and Seth Yoder, juniors Miranda Earnhart, Sadie Gustafson-Zook, Blake Shetler and Paul Zehr, and sophomore Joshua Bungart.
“The students don’t win any prizes, but they get a chance to perform at the concert,” said George-Miller. In addition to the honor of being chosen, the students get the opportunity to perform with the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra.
“I’m playing the first movement of Beethoven’s 5th concerto,” says Yoder. He started learning this piece almost three years ago and is honored to be able to perform a work by such a renowned composer.
This concert is very important to Goshen College as it allows us to spread the gift of music to the greater community. The organizers are looking forward to a great evening filled with amazing varieties of music, ranging from piano and violin pieces to vocal selections.
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Sauder Concert Hall. Tickets and more information can be found online at www.goshen.edu/tickets, or you can call (574) 535-7566 for more ticket details. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors and students. Faculty/staff and Goshen College students can get in free if they use a valid college ID.
