Student Musings
Students share their thoughts about PUC programming
Read what local students have to say about some of our upcoming programs:
A Princeton MUS Student Reflects on Jazz Pianist Fred Hersch’s Upcoming PUC Debut
by Helia Cui, Princeton University Class of 2023
Helia is pursuing a degree in Music at Princeton University. In January 2023, she completed a Princeternship with PUC through the University’s Center for Career Development.
To learn more about Fred Hersch’s appearance and get your tickets, click here.
If you didn’t know Fred Hersch before, a Google search would give you all his accolades — “a living legend”, “select member of jazz’s piano pantheon”, “fifteen-time GRAMMY nominee”. . . Equally legendary as his musical career, Fred was one of the first openly-gay, HIV-positive jazz musicians who remains an AIDS activist to this day.
At this point you may feel like Fred and you come from different universes. At his PUC debut, however, aside from bringing all that wonderful music, Fred will engage in an intimate conversation with the audience, sharing his experience facing what everyone inevitably faces — illness. In the year 2008, Fred was so sick from AIDS and related diseases that he fell into a two-month coma.
He came out of the coma unable to hold a pencil, not to mention being able to play the piano, and yet with an ever-deeper connection to music and a renewed determination to make as much music as he can.”
The project “Breath by Breath”, all composed by Fred during the pandemic, is a showcase of music’s ability to soothe, to reflect, and to invigorate.
The major part of the project, the eight-part Sati Suite (Sati is the Pali word for “mindfulness” or “awareness”) takes inspiration from Fred’s longtime insight meditation practice. When we think of meditation music, jazz may not be the first that comes to mind.
What does Fred find in meditation that he is now communicating to us through music? I can’t wait to hear.”
Two more points on the program worth noting for classical music enthusiasts
– “Breath by Breath” features Fred’s first incorporation of a string quartet into his compositions.
– “Pastorale” which pays homage to Robert Schumann.
For the eminent musician, for the vibrant music, for an experience that speaks to our fundamental existence as human beings, this is a concert not to miss.
A Princeton MUS Student Reflects on Violinist Alexi Kenney’s “Shifting Ground” Program
by Helia Cui, Princeton University Class of 2023
Helia is pursuing a degree in Music at Princeton University. In January 2023, she completed a Princeternship with PUC through the University’s Center for Career Development.
To learn more about Alexi Kenney’s appearance and get your tickets, click here.
Violinist Alexi Kenney’s upcoming program on Thursday, February 16, 2023 is unique first of all for its format. I would call it a “playlist” concert —single movements are played one after another mostly without pause.
Similar to how a modern listener would head to Spotify (or Apple Music) and select a playlist, Alexi will bring us a holistic program that not only takes inspiration from J. S. Bach but that is also his own expression, innovatively mixing Bach with works by composers of our time. If we think about it, all music written has once been ‘contemporary’ music.
Alexi’s program connects the “contemporary” music for Bach to contemporary music for us, bringing to light the common threads that transcend history.
Some things I love about the program:
– All the Bach pieces come from his Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, a foundational repertoire for the violin as a solo instrument. The ending piece of the program, the masterful, monumental Chaconne from Violin Partita No.2, is a series of variations on a repeating bass-line. This is a reference to the program title “Shifting Ground.”
How does this “ground” shift throughout the program? We can only listen to find out!
– As for the contemporary compositions, they have a story behind them that speaks to our shared experience living in today’s world.
The first contemporary piece in the program, “Playing Changes” from Violin Diptych by Samuel Adams, for instance, was written in the pandemic and came out of the composer’s desire to connect in the difficult time.
The piece by Du Yun, “Under A Tree,” uses as its backing track a recording of vedic Sanskrit chanting. I’m very curious to see how the violin would stand out against this religious backdrop.
– For those of you wondering how music could interact with visuals, the lighting of this production is designed by Jane Cox, Director of Princeton’s Program in Theater, award-winning lighting designer and two-time Tony Award nominee. Be ready for your eyes and ears to be pleased at the same time!
