The Fall 2024 yearly Music Faculty Recital was a fantastic show put on by the staff of the musical department at Fresno City College.
Before the recital took place I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Kevin Cooper who was very passionate about the recital.
“I always look forward to this concert, we do it every fall and it’s a way to kick off the year and inspire the students,” Cooper said.
Cooper mentioned that there are new students each semester and gives them the chance to become familiar with the staff through the recital.
When going to the recital itself in the Old Administration Building I was met with a warm glow. Even before any performances started there was an exciting energy from many students.
While I have never been to the Music Faculty Recital before, it did not disappoint. The piano performances were more than impressive, and the opera performances were mesmerizing.
The show was about an hour and a half, featuring music such as “Ah!, Fors’è Lui Che L’anima” from La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, and “Tell Me Something Good” by Stevie Wonder.
Each faculty member delivered a memorable performance with the selection of music, ranging from jazz, classical, and opera.
I was able to get the chance to interview professor Barb Shinaver, a faculty member who teaches trombone lessons and jazz piano lessons.
Shinaver emphasized the opportunity to show off the program to the students, allowing them to get an idea of what they are working on in lessons.
Shinaver said it depends on what music she picks for the shows, choosing for the faculty jazz combo to play a tune called “Sweet and Lovely”
“I chose Morceau Symphonique because I was here a couple weeks ago doing a workshop for a Super Saturday event, and the all state auditions music was this piece,” Shinaver said. “It was fun to play.”
Astghik Levonyan Gevorkyan, a faculty member who teaches piano level one and two, said “It’s my pleasure to perform with my colleagues every year, this is our yearly faculty recital, I’m so happy to be here”.
Shinaver has an upcoming event on campus, on Oct. 14 which is the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra in Concert, featuring the Fresno State jazz orchestra in the Fresno City Theater.
