School of Music pianist Trinity Fan rehearses for the upcoming Student Piano Program Showcase Wednesday in the Amphitheater.
CODY ENGLANDER
Staff writer
Ahead of the Student Piano Program Showcase, Nicola Melville, chair of the Piano Program at Chautauqua Institution, reflected on the power of the students’ performances.
“It’s a varied performance, but it’s also very listenable,” Melville said. “They’re short items, so it’s an easy program to listen to by an amazingly talented and dedicated bunch of students.”
At 3 p.m. Sunday in the Amphitheater, 20 pianists from Chautauqua’s School of Music will present a plethora of world-renowned works composed for one or two pianos.
The showcase was a tradition birthed in the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to present student performances while adhering to CDC protocols.
“It turned out that people were very interested to come and hear piano students perform,” Melville said. “It’s turned into this yearly event — to have an opportunity on the big stage, it’s really great for the students to have that opportunity.”
Melville notes this as the genesis of the program, allowing piano students to perform through various methods, including solo pieces, piano duets, two pianos and two pianos eight hands — which has a total of four people playing, with two performers at each piano. The pieces chosen for performance cover a variety of eras.
“Some of them are more traditional classical, but there are a lot of Gershwin songs, there’s a Scott Joplin medley of ragtime pieces, there will be Rachmaninoff and Debussy,” Melville said. “It’s a broad range of pieces largely designed to be played at a lighter fare that is audience friendly.”
Melville noted this as an important part of the students’ journey, often as an exercise in professional collaboration. Almost all of the students will be performing chamber music, but many will do so with other instrumentalists or performers from the voice program.
“I think it’s a celebratory collaboration where [the students] are all meeting each other with the things they do best,” Melville said. “I think it’s this lovely chance for them to [perform] with each other. I think it’s a really unique opportunity where they’re learning something different.”
Melville stated the importance of the showcase itself as a deviation for the audience, too. Not only is the performance an hour of concise, beautiful music, but it’s also a chance for the audience to listen to a more lighthearted collection of performances.
The love for music from the students, Melville noted, is what impresses her the most about today’s performance.
“I’m blown away by their dedication and ability to keep adapting,” Melville said. “They’re playing their solo repertoire, they’re playing in master classes, they’re playing in studio recitals, they’re playing chamber music, they’re coaching with singers and instrumentalists. On top of that, they’re finding time to carve out for this really unique and special experience.”
