KSC music performance major Andrew Szmauz performed his senior recital on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Redfern Arts Center Alumni Recital Hall.
Szmauz gave his performances on the guitar, vihuela and 19th-century guitar.
The hour-and-a-half-long recital consisted of “Prelude in D minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach, “String Quartet in E major” by Franz Joseph Haydn and “Romanesca o Guardame las Vacas” by Alonso Mudarra, along with others.
Szmauz is a non-traditional student, and before he came to Keene State, he worked as a private guitar teacher and performer, a job he has continued during his time at KSC. “I had already been playing the guitar for almost 20 years … I’ve been playing music since 1997,” Szmauz said.
“I, through studying music at Keene State, found my true love, which is early music and flamenco music,” said Szmauz.
Szmauz cites his biggest supporters as music faculty like Professor Ted Mann and Dr. José Lezcano, along with his wife and children. “I can’t not say anything good about him,” Szmauz said about Lezcano. “He is one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever met, and he taught me so much.”
Szmauz was accompanied in some of his performances by Mann, who has taught Szmauz for four semesters.
“We play once a week in a coffee shop as an open rehearsal. It’s not [a] formal concert, so that’s helped us put our music together,” Mann said.
“I’ll say something and [Andrew will] go research it and learn about it. I’ll just mention things and he’s just so into learning about music and going the extra mile to get good,” he said. Each music student who wishes to perform a recital at Keene State goes through a jury process where they showcase their completed performances and notes to a panel before the official recital itself.
Szmauz’s recital jury was presided over by KSC music faculty Dr. Heather Gilligan. “What’s involved in the jury is [that] music has to be ready to go by then, performance-ready, and the student has to have program notes written and a poster created by the time of the jury,” said Gilligan.
“Andrew had a really successful jury. His concert is very well prepared,” she added. After he leaves KSC, Szmauz plans to continue his work as a guitar teacher and performer.
Emily Sloane can be contacted at
esloane@kscequinox.com
