Exchanging glances before counting off and intaking a breath in unison, the performers began to play. The slow and soft piano notes of Sunday’s third chamber ensemble performance rang throughout the Chapel, soon followed by a crisp flute melody to create cohesive harmony. After nearly eight weeks of rehearsing and building their tight bond, the group showcased their work on Sunday, November 7th.
Noel Kim ’25 commented on the sense of community that comes with being in a small chamber group, as she feels musicians can build more personal relationships in these focused groups. According to Kim, a close connection is helpful for being perfectly synchronized across instruments.
“While other ensembles, like orchestra or band, have an entire huge group of people, chamber is usually at the max five, maybe six people. You rely on your chamber group mates a lot more and the other musicians…these talented musicians are able to come together for just one term…,” said Kim.
Flutist Jenny Jin ’24 also draws upon the creative synergy that arises from this bond of artists. She believes that her chamber group is not simply about music, but rather an interaction and dynamic conversation between many instruments. When she plays the flute, she wants her audience to experience the living and breathing side of music, transporting them to a new world.
“Since it’s such a small group, you can really listen and you can really hear every instrument when they play. And so I feel like it’s that harmony, the balance that is really fascinating…in my group, we have a piano, a flute, and an oboe, and we’re echoing each other. I really want the audience to not just listen to the music, but also feel the conversation that the instruments are having,” said Jin.
According to Kim ‘25, participating in the chamber music program is a way for musicians to experience a closer, more direct relationship with their teachers, helping them to improve their playing. They feed off of each other’s passion and focus while rehearsing, their admiration for each other contributing to their successful performances.
“Here at Andover…you have a personal teacher that helps you, and all these talented musicians, they’re all so good, and it’s great to come together even if it’s not that often for a really short amount of time, you’re really able to work together, meet up, create connections. And it’s really great, I think it’s a great sense of community at school in the music community at Andover,” said Kim.
