On Saturday, February 12, community members gathered in Colony Hall for an afternoon of musical performances. The Winter Recital consisted of pianists, singers, and musicians.
Among the vocalists was Helena Burger ’24. Burger’s interest in singing can be traced back to her childhood. “My parents say that when I was little I would never stop singing,” she said. Joining choir and other musical theater productions at the age of six, Burger has an extensive background in the art. “I love singing because I feel like when I am singing nothing else matters, and it almost takes me somewhere else, so it helps me to take my mind off things that are causing me stress,” she noted. Besides finding comfort in singing, Burger uses it as a medium of expression. “Sometimes, I find it easier to express myself through singing than talking,” she said.
When Burger composes her own pieces, she starts by sitting down at the piano and experimenting with different chords. “Usually, I really like one [chord] and will play it over and over again while humming along to create a melody I like,” she said. That melody will then become the chorus, which sets the tone for the rest of the song and inspires the lyrics. Through her lyrics, Burger connects her personal experiences and emotions to the tune. “I try to feel what emotions the chord progression and melody evoke and then think of something that happened to me which got me to feel those emotions and then write lyrics to tell that story,” she said.
In her instrumental recital, Burger performed her original song, “Slamming Doors.” Through this song, Burger hoped to express her appreciation for the people that have supported her and lifted her mood. “This is about someone who, no matter what, when you leave a conversation with them your mood is changed,” she said. She further noted that the “someone” in this song is not a specific person, but a group of people who have brought gratitude and contentment to her life.
Some examples of those people at Choate include the Chamber Chorus and her Acappella group, the Whimawehs. She said, “I am inspired by the talent around me, especially at Choate, and I have formed so many meaningful relationships with the people who I sing with.”
JeWon Im ’23, a principal violist of Symphony Orchestra, performed in the Instrumental Recital. Im began playing the violin at the age of two and later switched to the viola in eighth grade. Her initial encounter with the viola started with teasing from her brother. “My brother always bragged about how much better the viola was.” After trying viola herself, she too fell in love with it.
Im was deeply intrigued by the sound of the viola: “It’s eerily similar to the human voice in its rich depth of tones and ringing notes.” She also loves the viola for its versatility, as it is usually the middle or inner voice in many pieces, which gives her a unique perspective in orchestra. “I especially find playing in ensembles a valuable experience, because you really get to feel the connection between the other instruments, and every note comes together like a puzzle,” said Im.
In the Instrumental Recital, Im performed “Chahagir” by Alan Hovhaness, a twentieth-century contemporary composer. The piece is based on an Armenian folk song, starting out with a quiet and somber motif, then gradually breaking out into rich chords. When performing it, Im emphasized the contrast between the alternating melancholy tones and energetic chord series. Im used the same piece for her Connecticut All-State audition a few weeks ago and continued polishing it for the recital. “The piece reminds me of a journey home, beginning with a lonely walk, then seeing your house, and hollering in joy and triumph,” she said.
In addition to her solo piece, Im also performed “Air from Suite in D” by J.S. Bach with Tiffany Xiao ’23 and Alexis Lien ’23. She was only informed about this performance on the day of the concert. However, the seeming challenge brought by the sudden show time change turned out to be a fortuitous moment for Im to showcase her sight-reading skills. Im explained that because of her daily sight-reading practices and the familiar style of Bach, her preparation process was not exceptionally difficult. “Bach requires a very distinct playing style, such as playing trills starting from the top note or using little vibrato, so since I’m familiar with Bach, I was able to sight-read easily,” she said.
For Im, playing in an ensemble is much easier than playing a solo for last minute performances. “[It] loosens the stress of getting everything right perfectly, because honestly, ensemble playing can cover up a few wrong notes,” she said.
The Instrumental and Voice Recital is a platform where artists are able to showcase their hard work with the Choate community. Im said, “The feeling of accomplishment when I finish polishing a piece and have a chance to perform it really keeps me going in playing the viola.”
