Concerto Night is one of the Fountain School’s keystone public performances. The annual concert brings together twelve student soloists and the Dalhousie Symphony Orchestra under the directorship of Leonardo Perez and Peter Allen. Alongside music by composers like Haydn, Saint-Saëns, and Gershwin, this year’s concert program includes a premiere written by composition student, Kip Johnson.
“The spirit is always so collegial. Although symphonic music can be seen as highly hierarchical, especially concertos — where you have the soloist on top, then the conductor, then the orchestra. Concerto Night is different,” says Jérôme Blais, director of the Fountain School of Performing Arts. “You can feel that all the students are working together to create something unique and exciting.”
An immense collaborative effort between students and faculty, it oftens involves months of preparation. This year's event, which took place Tuesday (March 12), was no different.
Shanti Sivarulrasa.
'Depth you discover'
Years before enrolling at the Fountain School, many students are already developing artistic skills that'll serve them well during the performance.
Samantha Fullerton, a voice student and recent participant in the Canadian Opera Company’s inaugural Summer Opera Intensive program, has been honing her craft for years. Despite knowing that her voice has yet to reach maturity, Fullerton is energized by the opportunities and challenges presented by opportunities like Concerto Night.
Karina Matys, another voice student who is concurrently completing a combined honours degree in Contemporary Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies, feels that performing is a considerable but meaningful undertaking.
“The obstacles that you have to overcome in order to make music possible are like a mountain,” says Karina.
Karina Matys.
Third-year student Shanti Sivarulrasa, who began studying the violin at the age of four, relishes the voyage.
“It’s an emotional journey — a depth you discover with the music,” says Shanti. “Despite our differences, it feels like I’m sharing this experience with people. The music is like a story being told and retold over time. One that changes a little every time someone tells it.”
For others, like musicology and piano student Angela Chu and third-year voice student Naomi Sney (shown right), performing is an opportunity to create shared experiences.
“There’s an energy, an electricity that binds the soloists, orchestra, and everyone together. You’re trying to achieve the same goal, the same end, but together.”
Feel-good moment
Although a seemingly monumental task that challenges both students and faculty, Concerto Night showcases what the Fountain School does best: brings individuals with different personal and musical experiences to work together in concert.
Blais says that a diversity of view, expertise, and artistic collaboration are the unique virtues of the Fountain School.
Shown left: Noam Koubi.
“We are lucky to have many different disciplines under the same roof, exposing our students to many different points of view. And you should see how they cheer for each other. Concerto Night is always one of the greatest feel-good moments of the year!”
Concerto Night takes place Tuesday, March 12 at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in the Dalhousie Arts Centre at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available at dal.ca/artscentre.
Soheil Ghaffari.
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