BYU students present musical abilities at clarinet studio recital

The Recital Hall is in the BYU Music Building. The show hosted students and musicians for the recital on March 4. (Yeremi Espinoza)

The BYU Music Building Recital Hall hosted a clarinet studio recital performed by students on Wednesday, March 4.

The show had nine themes composed by many musicians from Eugene Bozza to Steven Harlos. Many students and friends of the musicians attended the event.

The show began with "Sonata" by Francis Poulenc, which was performed by Luke Rasmussen on the clarinet and Faith Nixon on the piano.

Joanne Hill, one of the attendants, expressed her amazement with the performers.

“My husband was part of the clarinet studio. It was fun to see some of his friends perform,” Joanne Hill said. “The last piece was my favorite part; it was pretty jazzy”.

Student performers gather in the lobby of the Music Building. They were part of professor Jaren Hinckley's class, who performed the clarinet studio recital. (Yeremi Espinoza)

Joanne Hill's husband, Beecham Hill, also expressed his appreciation for the rest of the show.

“I think it was great. It was great to listen high quality music, they played great,” Beecham Hill said. “I know a lot of people in the studio, for example, Seth Rugg, who performed CPE Bach. He’s been working on that piece for a long time. It was short but very impressive.”

Behind the scenes, preparation for the show was full of obstacles and challenges, Jane Galloway, one of the accompanists, said.

“I was not supposed to perform today,” Galloway said. “I was called last Saturday to help because one of the clarinetists asked me to help since his regular companions were not able to do it.”

Galloway, a professional accompanist, accepted the challenge to help with a few days away from the performance.

“I learned the piece on Sunday, and we rehearsed on Monday, and we performed tonight,” Galloway said.

Although this was an unusual experience, Galloway enjoyed the concert and the talent of the BYU School of Music.

The BYU Music Building entrance. The BYU School of Music performed several recitals throughout the semester to give its students an opportunity to play in front of an audience. (Yeremi Espinoza)

“I like the variety of the pieces and the opportunity for the kids to play in front of people,” Galloway said. “I know it's hard to get into this school today, but with practice, good teachers, and love for what you do, you can achieve everything.”

The BYU School of Music has many opportunities for students to perform their skills throughout the semester. For more information on upcoming events, visit BYU On Stage.