Seniors Amy Buonpane, flute, and Matthew McGinnis, tenor, filled the stage of the Redfern Arts Center with music this Sunday afternoon on Oct. 22 for their senior recital. The recital included works from Handel, Bach, Mozart, Burton, Bernstein and more.
Contributed photo by Amy Lesieur
Buonpane and McGinnis collaborated with Dr. Christina Wright-Ivanova, piano and harpsichord, throughout the performances, as well as other talented musicians periodically.
Interestingly enough, both students had wanted to perform their senior recital together since their first year at KSC. “We are best friends, so it’s really nice that we get to share the day together,” McGinnis said.
Pre-recital, McGinnis said, “I’m feeling excited, I’m also feeling ready which is refreshing because I was nervous that I would be nervous. I’ve prepared and I’ve practiced so much that I’m really feeling ready and excited for it.”
Wright-Ivanova has been working with both students to prepare for the recital for the past seven weeks.
“They’ve prepared before over the summer and last year they’ve also been preparing, so it’s a long process for performance at this level,” said Wright-Ivanova.“They really understand now the best way to make chamber music and the rehearsal process, so it’s been great to see then grow over the past couple months.”
Many music majors build up their repertoire over the four years within the music programs, and their senior recital is an accumulation of their work and their teachers work in training. Music Professor Dr. James Chesebrough has worked closely with both McGinnis and Buonpane over the years.
“[The recital] was Wonderful. It just goes to show what hard work does when channeled in the right direction,” Chesebrough said. “They’re both really fine musicians, they did a great job in putting together a program that was diverse, and all of it was entertaining, and really wonderful.”
Flute Instructor and Flute Ensemble Director Robin Matathias also had words of praise especially for Buonpane in particular, who has been her student for four years. Matathias accompanied Buonpane in one selection of the performance and said it was an honor to see and be a part of Buonpane’s growth as a student and only had one word for the performance: “outstanding.”
“It’s just been a complete pleasure,” Matathias said of working with Buonpane. “She’s an amazing student and person.”
After the performance, there was a sense of pride and relief from both students.
“It feels really good to be done with it. I think it went well,” Buonpane said. “We’ve been working with that music for a really long time so it feels good to finally have it done.”
One of the pieces Buonpane performed during her senior recital was also the very piece she first auditioned for the music department with.
“It was full circle,” Buonpane said.
McGinnis said he was also happy with how the performance went.
“I just feel really supported and loved by all the people that came,” McGinnis said.
Both students will move their focuses to student teaching next semester, the next step in their music education degree.
Meridith King can be contacted at mking@kscequinox.com
