Jacob Bernstein, Staff Writer–
While most students celebrated the Family Weekend festivities on campus, for a select few, the weekend of Sept. 28-29 resembled more of a road trip than a family homecoming.
On Saturday Sept. 28, the Denison Piano Department embarked on a journey to Cleveland’s renowned Severance Hall to listen to the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor.
Internationally recognized pianist Yefim Bronfman starred in the concerto, juxtaposing a delicate touch of the piano with a strong command of the keys.
Keyboard Studies Chair and Professor of Music Dr. Sun Min Kim has organized off-campus piano experiences like this past Saturday’s trip since the fall of 2021.
“While there are a lot of wonderful performances on campus, students often want to have a change of scenery outside Denison and Granville, and these concert trips are wonderful opportunities to get out of town,” Kim said. “We are fortunate to be close enough to cultural centers such as Cleveland and Cincinnati, though Columbus also brings world-class pianists from time to time.”
Luke Martinucci ‘25 watched pianist Sergei Babayan perform in Columbus on the inaugural piano trip, and fondly recalls “what an incredible opportunity it was to see a world-class pianist like Babayan so close to campus. He performed a Bach Prelude and Fugue, some pieces by Rachmaninoff, and Chopin. I remember that we drove into Columbus in multiple cars and met up as one big group in the lobby, took some pictures, and then went into the concert hall; it was a great time.”
Logan Shumway ‘25 spoke to the learning application of attending the performances.
“If the pianist does something I find interesting or I’ve never heard before, it leaves a lasting impression that makes me think about the music through a different lens,” Shumway said.
The piano trips also serve as bonding experiences and help to build community, Kim highlights. “Piano is a solitary instrument: for example, if you play violin, you automatically meet other string players by participating in orchestra. For pianists, we don’t have opportunities to meet other piano students.”
Martinucci concurred with Kim: “Off campus piano trips give us the chance to meet and get to know other piano students that we may otherwise not see very often, as we each have different lesson times. Activities like these trips are a great way to build community and camaraderie between piano students,” Martinucci said.
Outside of these once-a-semester experiences, the piano department welcomes students of all skill levels to fully participate in the Denison music scene. Beginning piano students can “start with Piano Class I and build skills and knowledge in piano,” Kim said. “For a lot of students, their time at college may be the last chance when they can take piano lessons, so if you have room in your schedule, please take advantage of it!”
At Denison, students can major, minor, and/or participate in ensembles and lessons. The piano department also hosts several performance classes a semester to give aspiring pianists the chance to practice their newly polished repertoire in a concert hall before the scheduled performance. If you are interested in supporting your fellow pianists, please mark your calendars for upcoming junior recitals, senior recitals, and noontime recitals later this semester.
All things considered, this latest pianist trip received rave reviews and made for a special night.
“It was an amazing performance!” Kim said. “I have seen Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 performed live numerous times, and this was certainly one of the best renditions! The pianist, Yefim Bronfman, is incredible. There were many moments when I felt that he is a superhuman, playing some of the most challenging passages as if they were nothing. Also, he is a pianist with tremendous power: the way he was filling the Severance Hall with his piano sound, and the way his sound was cutting through the orchestra was simply breathtaking. It was inspiring and humbling to see a performance of this high caliber.”