Arts

Faculty Musicians Embrace Russian Repertoire

In last Friday’s faculty chamber music concert, the radiant Barbara Kilduff-O’Farrell graced the audience with her voice despite having a broken kneecap and having to stand with a crutch. She preformed “Three Songs” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, accompanied by faculty pianist Laura Teplisky. Though members of the audience did not understand the Russian lyrics, Kilduff-O’farrell impressed the audience with her dramatic expressions that love is in the air, her strong voice filling the room. Next, cellist Jan Muller-Szeraws and pianist Stephen Porter performed Sergei Prokofiev’s “Sonata for Cello and Piano in C Major, OP. 119.” Muller-Szeraws’ fingers raced across the cello in the first movement, and the bow fluently crossed the strings. The piece ended with a fast movement that kept the audience on the edge of their seats, and the piece ended with bravos from the excited audience. Local poet Aur Euskal said, “it elevated our spirit and we need this to enrich our spirit,” and her son Sergio Pinecross praised the performance and said that it was, “so powerful, very difficult and passionate.” Muller-Szeraws returned to stage with Roksana Sudol on violin and Diane Lim on piano performing the “Piano Trio in E minor, Op. 67” by Dmitri Shostakovich. The piece began with a soft but very high-pitched cello melody. In the last movement, the strong piano chords and the staccatos and pizzicatos of the cello and violin gave a sneaky gesture that poked fun at the audience. After the concert, much of the audience stayed to congratulate the musicians. The recital showcased the wide experience of the all-star members of the faculty of the Andover music department. Besides the success of this concert, the distinguished faculty musicians past accomplishments are equally amazing. Kilduff has had many lead roles in opera, oratorio and song recital. Teplisky has promoted different venues of piano performance throughout her career and personally worked with Shostakovich. Muller-Szeraws is a grant recipient of the Saul and Naomi Cohen Foundation. Sudol won the Dean Scholarship Award to study at Boston University under Professor Roman Totenberg. Lim won the Josef Lhevinne Prize for high record of achievement from the Juilliard School of Music. Porter was selected by Steinway and Sons to give five solo recitals for the Legendary Instruments of the Immortal Tour.