By Ainsley Green, Staff Writer
Dylan Hewett ’24 on cello and JJ Jordan ’24 on violin. (Photo Eric Lippe/The Gettysburgian)
Spring semester senior recitals kicked off on Friday, Feb. 23 in Paul Recital Hall at 7 p.m. with a joint recital, which featured music performance majors JJ Jordan ’24 on violin and Dylan Hewett ’24 on cello. Many of their friends, family members and fellow music classmates came out to support the pair as they performed nearly two hours of music with a fifteen-minute intermission. The program, entitled “Zeitgeist,” was comprised of pieces that the duo worked on individually and together for months, all in preparation for this milestone of their undergraduate music careers.
Jordan started the recital with a solo violin performance of “Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor” by J.S. Bach with a slow “Adagio” movement followed by an intricate “Fuga. Allegro” movement. They then played “Rhapsody No. 1 for Solo Violin” by Jessie Montgomery. These two pieces showcased Jordan’s talents on the violin and told stories through many distinctive moods and styles.
Next, Hewett took the stage to perform “Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor” by J.S. Bach, made up of six movements: “Prelude,” “Allemance,” “Sarabande,” “Gavotte I & 2” and “Gigue.” Each movement represented a dance from different places in Europe, including Germany, France, Spain and the British Isles. This piece as a whole contained many different styles of music across the movements and highlighted the resonant tone and versatility in Hewett’s cello playing.
The final piece before the intermission was “Violin Sonata in G Minor” by Claude Debussy, another solo performance by Jordan. This time, they were accompanied by Collaborative Pianist of the Sunderman Conservatory Dr. Scott Crowne, and the three movements were “Allegro vivo,” “Intermède: Fantasque et léger” and “Finale: Très animé.”
After the intermission, Hewett performed his last solo piece of the evening, “Cello Sonata No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 109” by Gabriel Fauré, which was also accompanied by Crowne on the piano. Throughout the “Allegro” and “Andante” movements, the audience got to hear virtuosic passages as well as softer, simpler melodies from the cello and piano.
Jordan’s final solo piece, also with piano accompaniment by Crowne, was “Hating-Gabi” by Antonio Molina, which translates to “Midnight” in Filipino. It was a short, lyrical piece written in Rondo form that kept returning to a main theme that tied the piece together. Overall, the program included pieces from all different musical eras and parts of the world, which allowed the audience to take a journey through many styles of music.
The final piece performed for the recital was “Piano Trio Op. 70 No. 1 in D Major” by L.V. Beethoven. Jordan and Hewett were joined by their friend Jess Schaefer ’24 on the piano for this piece. The trio worked together in a chamber group to prepare all three movements of the piece: “Allegro vivace e con brio,” “Largo assai ed espressivo” and “Presto.” The piece’s mysterious and melancholic tone is what earned its nickname of the “Ghost” trio. The three musicians’ collaboration was evident as they performed the trio with amazing accuracy and emotion, communicating with each other throughout the performance.
Afterward, there was a standing ovation from the audience for the musicians. In the program notes, Jordan and Hewett dedicated each of their pieces to important people in their lives who inspired them on their musical journeys, including each other, friends, faculty and family members.
Their joint recital was held on Friday, Feb. 23 in Paul Recital Hall. (Photo Eric Lippe/The Gettysburgian)
Jordan and Hewett described the process of choosing to work together on their senior recital and what it has been like to prepare their piece and team up for the recital, which was an idea that Sunderman Conservatory of Music Professor Jocelyn Swigger recommended.
“Our [chamber group] coach, Dr. Swigger, pitched the idea of doing a joint senior recital. It’s a lot more fun to do a recital with your friend…it just made sense to share this experience with each other!” they remarked. “You get to learn a lot about each others’ repertoire and we’ve also become closer as friends because of it!”
Jordan and Hewett also provided advice for future music students: “Don’t get so caught up in the notes on the page, enjoy playing the music and the experiences that come with it. Try to play with as many people as possible, whether it’s your friend’s recital or starting your own ensemble. As for students in general, enjoy college and make friendships that can last a lifetime. You don’t know when you’ll ever get to experience something like this again.”
After graduation, Jordan plans to find a job in music on the East Coast and attend graduate school in the future. Hewett is planning on going into the marina business to learn more about the profession while simultaneously pursuing music with gigs on electric bass and orchestra participation.
Both musicians eagerly reflected on their experiences being Conservatory students.
“Not only have I made close friends that I will have for a lifetime, but I’ve also gotten the privilege of working with so many wonderful professors who have supported me throughout my time at college,” Jordan said.
“I’ve met and performed with so many friends and created lifelong connections with wonderful people,” Hewett added.
This semester, other graduating musicians of the Sunderman Conservatory will be performing their senior recitals, so be on the lookout for upcoming events from the talented class of 2024.
This article originally appeared on pages 16 to 17 of the April 2024 edition of The Gettysburgian’s magazine.
