On Sept. 22, the Department of Music promised an evening of ‘Nostalgia’ at the faculty recital held in the Brown Hall Auditorium. They not only delivered on that promise, but the performances by Heather Killmeyer and Esther Park exceeded expectations.
Heather Killmeyer, assistant professor of Double Reeds and artistic director of Dada Cabaret, performed in an experimental chamber ensemble that blends contemporary art music with elements of theater and spoken narrative. Her form was impressive on the oboe, performing various pieces that expressed a range of emotions from mournful to humorous.
“These works were all chosen because they display the full emotional spectrum,” Killmeyer said.
“I have a strong emotional attachment to all the pieces,” said Killmeyer before beginning the second piece of the night, “Sonata for Oboe and Piano,” a classical piece composed by Francis Poulenc. “But this one is a favorite of mine. It encapsulates the breath of human emotion, capturing grief and all the other emotions that go with it.”
Other selections for the night came from composers Bohuslav Martinů and Eugene Bozza.
Killmeyer was accompanied by Assistant Professor of Piano and Director of the ETSU Pre-College Program, Esther Park. Park has performed as a soloist with orchestras and in recitals across the U.S. as well as Asia and major European cities.
Donations were accepted to go toward the Department of Music’s Reed Day. Expanded from the former Bassoon Day, the event is planned to take place in the spring semester on March 31 and will include performances of various instruments such as the oboe, bassoon, clarinet and saxophone. With guests coming from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, UNC-Greensboro, University of Tennessee-Martin and University of Delaware, Killmeyer says this will be the largest event for woodwinds ever hosted by the ETSU Department of Music.
For more information for upcoming events hosted by the Department of Music and Reed Day, contact the department at 423-439-4276 or music@etsu.edu.
