A nun, a devil and a G-string; not what you would expect at a traditional strings performance. This past Tuesday’s April Fools’ Day concert featured all three.
The two-hour performance presented the musical prowess among both GC students and staff alike, including mesmerizing strumming, finger plucking and storytelling while guiding the audience through a “humourous walk through violin literature.”The recital opened with a brief introduction by Dustin George-Miller, Music Center office coordinator. Walking to the stage, he set the tone in a brightly colored blazer that sported eccentric shapes and was quick to offer a “thanks, Amazon,” for shipping it oversized.
Saige Lind, a graphic design major who was introduced as a monk, kicked off the recital with the performance of “The Resurrection,” donning a black and red cloak as she strummed front and center.
Among all of the standout performances, Rosalyn Troiano, community school of the arts strings program director, and Solomia Soroka, professor of music, presented the piece Devil’s Trill. With Soroka dressed as the devil and Troiano as Giuseppe Tartini, a “violin duel” ensued.
Along with brightly colored suit coats, the violinists showed up dressed up as ghosts, dead classical musicians, or they wore matching cat masks in opposing black and white colors. The costumes and acting made this especially unique and engaging. The April Fools’ Day spirit was in the air with a dramatic reenactment of Niccolò Paganini’s skillful use of the G-string — but, as George-Miller said, “not the one you’re thinking of.”
In an interview during intermission, George-Miller said, “I think the audience has been very perceptive and they’re very friendly and they’re laughing,” said. “They seem to be enjoying it and they’re very appreciative, I think, of the music, especially because that’s what it’s really about.”
He continued, “If you can dress flamboyantly and make people laugh and have some fun,” “that’s really all we want.”
“The students all sound great,” said Emma Kauffman, a first-year social work major and audience member. “They’re keeping us engaged with their costumes and telling a story with their music.”
The recital concluded with the entire ensemble coming together to play “March” from A Summer Day, by Sergei Prokofiev.
George-Miller said that the concert is meant to be silly and lighthearted following the theme of April Fools’ Day, but it’s “also here to showcase what all the violin students were working on the entire semester. It’s really about them — I’m just up here telling jokes.”
With reporting by Theresa Rodriguez and Charlie Aldrich.
