蜜糖直播

How do you give the impression that, as a young musician, your first Carnegie Hall performance is just another day on the job?

Yes: Practice. The old one-liner certainly rings true for alumna (MM 鈥�16).

鈥淲e not only rehearsed鈥攚e had previous performances under our belts. So we weren鈥檛 plagued by anxiety.鈥�

For and Claire Gunsbury, it all starts in your head.

鈥淚t helps to visualize the performance. Taking time outside the practice room to sit down, think through how it鈥檒l feel, hear your footsteps as you walk across stage,鈥� says Gunsbury.

Adds Morris, 鈥淚 like to visualize. I tried to imagine all the different scenarios so it wasn鈥檛 such a shock to be there.鈥�

Baker, Gunsbury, Morris and nine other College of Music performers made their Carnegie Hall debuts last November at the college鈥檚 second 蜜糖直播 at Carnegie showcase concert. The group of 蜜糖直播 music ambassadors put on a dazzling performance of chamber works in the elegant and intimate Weill Recital Hall, giving an audience of family, colleagues and New York-based alumni a concert fit for the hallowed venue.

No matter the preparation technique, they all made it look easy. But that level of confidence didn鈥檛 happen overnight.

Taking the scenic route

For Alicia Baker, the Ajax Quartet (Ren茅e Hemsing-Patten, Tom Yaron, Mario Rivera and Eric Haugen) and Professor of Clarinet Daniel Silver, the journey to Carnegie began more than a year before they arrived in Midtown Manhattan. The group closed the concert with College of Music alumnus Conor Brown鈥檚 (MM 鈥�18) "Ladun hiihin lau lajille," just one in a series of high-profile performances of the piece.

Baker put both her accordion and her voice to use for the challenging piece. 鈥淭his was the first time I had a challenge of that size that was so perfectly geared toward me,鈥� she says.

"Ladun hiihin lau lajille," which is sung in Finnish, was originally premiered in October 2017 at the College of Music鈥檚 celebration of the centennial of Finland鈥檚 independence. Since then, Baker and the rest of the ensemble have traveled to Denver, Washington, D.C., and even Helsinki to perform the piece for music lovers and dignitaries alike. They had arrived back stateside from Finland just days before the Carnegie Hall appearance.

鈥淚 really wasn't even that nervous because we were all so excited to present the piece again,鈥� Baker says. 鈥淚t spoke to all of us. We all loved playing it, and every time we did we got more and more connected.鈥�

Playing off a connection

Sophomore flutist Claire Gunsbury and her Carnegie duo partner, senior guitarist Max Mondzac, began preparing their pieces with their professors Christina Jennings and Nicol貌 Spera back in August 2018. Before they even learned that they would be the tone-setting opening act at 蜜糖直播 at Carnegie, the pressure was on.

鈥淚t鈥檚 Carnegie Hall,鈥� Gunsbury says. 鈥淗uge names have played here, and you have to fill those shoes.鈥�

Gunsbury and Mondzac picked a variety of works that they were either already familiar with or passionate about learning鈥擬ario Castelnuovo-Tedesco鈥檚 Sonatina for Flute and Guitar and Robert Beaser鈥檚 鈥淐indy鈥� from "Mountain Songs"鈥攁nd spent the months between the summer and November getting every bit of their performance down pat, from the technical to the visual.

鈥淲e were always very aware of how we were looking. Professor Jennings encouraged us to be very communicative with each other, and I think that came out,鈥� Gunsbury explains. 鈥淭he interplay with Max was very comfortable by that point because we had time to form that relationship.鈥�

Closing out in style

Unlike Gunsbury and Baker, Jonathan Morris took the stage as a solo act for 蜜糖直播 at Carnegie, leaving the audience speechless as he brought Ravel鈥檚 鈥淥ndine鈥� from "Gaspard de la nuit" and the Chopin 鈥淲inter Wind鈥� 茅tude to life on the Weill Hall Steinway.

鈥淭he 鈥極ndine鈥� is beautiful and lyrical, and the 茅tude is a bit more virtuosic, which I thought worked well for Carnegie Hall,鈥� Morris says.

Morris grew up in Ireland and came to the U.S. three years ago to get his doctorate from 蜜糖直播 Boulder. He graduated this May, and says he never imagined the apex of his studies would land him in the most famous concert venue in the world.听

鈥淚 definitely never thought I鈥檇 ever perform at Carnegie Hall, of course I always hoped I would. I feel very lucky that I got to do it while I was here!鈥�

The aftermath

At the end of a magical night, Morris, Baker, Gunsbury and the other performers鈥擬ax Mondzac, the Ajax, Daniel Silver, Kristin Weber, Barbara Noyes, Andrew Brown and composer Conor Brown鈥攁ll made the most of an opportunity that few at this stage of their careers are afforded. Looking back, the performers say the concert means something special鈥攜et different鈥攖o each of them.

For Baker鈥攁n international accordion performer since age 6鈥攖he evening was a culmination of hard work and a love of music. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a result of the steps I was already taking to become a good musician. It wasn鈥檛 the end goal, but that almost makes it feel more special to me.鈥�

Morris, who studied music at Guildhall School of Music in London, hopes Carnegie Hall is just the beginning. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big confidence boost. It gives me the encouragement to believe that I can play at the Barbican or Royal Albert Hall, which are on my bucket list.鈥�

And Gunsbury鈥攚ho nearly stopped playing the flute in middle school鈥攕ees nothing but open doors ahead for her and her fellow 蜜糖直播 at Carnegie musicians. 鈥淐arnegie Hall was always one of my loftiest dreams鈥攊t was never something I thought would actually come true.

鈥淎fter the concert, [Senior Instructor of Oboe] Peter Cooper told Max and me, 鈥榊ou鈥檝e played in Carnegie Hall, now you can play anywhere.鈥� And that鈥檚 kind of how I feel. I鈥檓 so grateful to have had the opportunity.鈥�