It’s been a long time since I’ve updated the blog- I will definitely try to be more on top on posts from now on! I will have to do a few quick posts highlighting some of my experiences, and then get back to blogging on a regular basis. In the fall, I was very busy with school and various performances.

Ellen and I continued our Wohn-Hwangbo duo collaboration and performed 3-4 concerts, as well as a handful of recitals in the fall. I am always happy performing AND rehearsing with Ellen. We are complete opposites, but seem to compliment each other both in personality and music. It is definitely a blessing to be able to get along with someone that you have to spend so much time with.

One of the fun concerts we played in the fall was a house concert at Mr. Staller’s house. Mr. Staller as in Staller Center for the Arts- the huge arts center at Stony Brook University. He, as a passionate music lover, supports our Music Department and makes it possible for many music students to attend school with his generous scholarships. Wanting to share music with his friends, he invited them over to an intimate concert with a few faculty and students and dinner afterwards.

Phil Setzer of the Emerson Quartet(also known as my dear teacher) inspects his music as Gil Kalish and Ellen laugh at me for snapping pictures instead of warming up! I roamed around the house, inspecting his cool art collection, and then finally retired to a room to warm up but then discovered this-

Moxie! I had only seen it in a textbook in middle school, so I was pretty excited and had to take a picture of it. Ellen, who grew up mainly in Korea, had no idea why I was so excited about a bottle of old soda. Especially since I couldn’t drink it. Despite the fact that I was more interested in exploring the house, people seemed to enjoy our performance of Ravel Sonata, and hopefully we inspired some people to help save the music program at Stony Brook- it really is a high level program with amazing faculty and great students(yes, maybe I am biased a little bit!).

Another amazing experience was playing with Colin Carr and Tina Dahl for Stony Brook’s Faculty Concert Series. Not only was I excited to play with Colin and Tina, I was so excited to learn the Brahms B major piano trio. It really is an amazing piece, and I am so glad I got to play it with such great musicians. I learned so much from watching Colin play- his bow control is so effortless, that I was green with envy during every rehearsal.

Another out of the ordinary event was that Ellen and her husband Tom and I drove all the way to Michigan! It was a fun road trip, and while we were in the midwest we had a recital at Kerrytown Concert Hall in Ann Arbor. It was such a fun recital, I got over my fear of
speaking on stage, and talked to the audience before every piece, a first for me. I must hone my public speaking skills as I felt that the audience enjoyed the performance more after each time I spoke to them. It may just be that I had an amazing crowd and a sophisticated audience in Ann Arbor, but I felt extremely connected to the audience, and could tell that they were having a great time. I had chosen some of my favorite pieces- an eclectic mix including Mozart, Ravel, Korngold and Ives, and enjoyed myself performing with my good friend for a warm crowd on a cold winter night. My devoted and superhuman sister who lives in Michigan put together a reception also, so I got to talk to the audience afterwards and received great feedback.

Sadly, as usual, I had no appetite before the concert, and immediately after the concert as well(plus I couldn’t be stuffing my face while talking to people), so I was starving late at night. I ended the night with midwestern sandwich chain Jimmy John’s veggie sandwich! My excuse is that I had to sample the local food!!