Wayne State College’s music department has entered recital season, starting with student recitals on March 23 and a faculty recital on March 24.
On March 23, seniors Josie Mikoloyck and Kora Keslin will take the Ley Theater stage in the Brandenburg education building. Mikoloyck and Keslin will be performing 30 minutes’ worth of music from many different periods, composers and musical styles.
Mikoloyck will be playing clarinet, while her recital partner and friend since freshman year Keslin will be singing soprano alongside her.
“I remember meeting Kora freshman year and talking about performing our senior year recital together,” Mikoloyck said. “We both have been through so much together in these past 4 years and now we get to end it together. It’s honestly surreal.”
The student recital will be filled with music from the Romantic period, sung in English, Venetian, and a dialect of Italian. Some pieces will be inspired by the 18th and 21st centuries. Musical theater songs will also be performed, which Keslin said is always fun for her to prepare and perform.
Both Mikoloyck and Keslin have so much gratitude for the faculty that have stood behind them and has taught them throughout these past few years.
“I must, of course, thank our incredible faculty for helping prepare us for this recital,” Keslin said. “They are so talented and kind, and most of all, dedicated to helping us be the best musicians we can possibly be.”
Shelly Armstrong, a professor here at WSC and one of the faculty performers on March 24, said that she couldn’t choose just one favorite artist from Mikoloyck and Keslin’s program. Some of the composers that are on the student recital program are Elgar, Rossini, and Brahams.
Keslin’s music theatre set is diverse and will not fail to pique the interest of the audience.
“Both Josie and Kora are strong leaders in the WSC music department, and it has been a true joy to work with them throughout their careers here,” Armstrong said. “They are positive, hard-working and talented in their specific areas of study.”
The faculty recital will be performed by pianist Shelly Armstrong and mezzo-soprano Sarah Farr. Farr’s recital is named “What’s in a Name?” the reason for this title is because Farr chose each piece in the program based on a person’s name. Armstrong felt this was a very clever idea from Farr.
“It has been interesting to experience how music over the centuries is often written about a person, and I find it fascinating to go beyond the music to learn about why a piece was written to discover the inspiration and story behind it,” Armstrong said. “I look forward to hearing more of Dr. Farr’s insights on her research of these pieces.”
Several of the pieces that Armstrong will be performing she has played before, but she finds the style of writing and chord progressions in “Diana’s Songs” by Rick Sowash appealing.
Every song that is performed during the faculty recital are songs with women’s names. Some of those songs include “Diana’s Songs” by Rick Sowash, “Adelaide” by Beethoven and “Nina” by Giovanni Paisiello. Farr is excited to perform two pieces in particular.
“I’m particularly excited about performing Rick Sowash’s “Diana’s Songs” and “Adelaide” by Beethoven,” Farr said.
