Performer Amithi Tadigadapa ’23 cradled her cello as she began playing the String Quartet no. 14 (“Death and the Maiden”) by Franz Schubert, along with Yui Hasegawa ’23, Derrick Seo ’23, and Holly Barnes, Instructor in Music. Tadigadapa emphasized the importance of playing as a cohesive unit, rather than as four separate instruments in her quartet.
Students, faculty, and families alike gathered in the Timken Room in Graves Hall to enjoy the Academy Chamber Music Society’s performances on November 5. The concert featured nine pieces, performed by Andover music students and faculty. According to Tadigadapa, the packed room offered performers an encouraging environment to connect with the audience more closely.
“I loved having an audience. My parents and my sister were in the crowd, so it was really nice having family there. And performing is definitely the best part of being a musician for me… I was once told by a former teacher of mine that when you perform, you’re giving a gift to the audience, and that’s something that’s remained with me as I’ve gone through my career,” said Tadigadapa.
Another performer, bassist Will Lucas ’24, expressed that the close atmosphere allowed him to perform his piece, “J’Attends” by Astor Piazzolla, more confidently. Lucas’ first time performing in a chamber group at Andover, he also expressed gratitude for his co-performer, violinist Ellie Sun ’25.
“Performing it just now, getting up onstage was a very powerful experience… It was kind of crazy to get up on that stage and be all hit by the lights, and then see everyone in the crowd. I felt a lot more passionate. I felt much more in tune to the music. While I was practicing, I was finding that I was tending to lose my place sometimes. But I didn’t have to worry about that when I was up there,” Lucas said.
Despite a successful night of performances, Ani Bayramyan ’24 commented on the difficulties her group faced in attempting to capture the essence of their piece, “Deux Interludes” by Jacques Ibert. The group thought extensively on how to create a blended sound while still emphasizing the melody.
“We started working on the nuances of the piece, and we tried bringing out the serene nature of the piece, because it’s a very elegant piece. We tried to embody that in our playing. It required a lot of coordination, with the different elements of the piece. We wanted for the violin to speak to the flute, and the piano as well. So it required a lot of thinking: where does each instrument take the melody? And how do we bring it out? How do we make that melody shine [or] stand out in the moment?” Bayramyan said.
Many of these chamber groups hope to continue performing in the Winter and Spring. Some will prepare new pieces, while others will select pieces that build off their previous repertoire to form continuous thematic arcs.
“We are planning to continue with this piece [in] Spring term, and we want to learn the second movement. And hopefully perform it at the chamber music concert,” said Bayramyan.
