Rachel Bender, Thomas Donovan, and Taoighan Othot (’25, ’24, and ’25) performed a well-attended “Lunchtime Concert” in the Chapel Art Center’s Gallery . The hour-long Nov. 15 event included pieces on the piano, violin, and cello. The performers offered the following reflections on their experience.

On the organization of the event:

Rachel Bender [violin]: “The event was organized by Professor Haringer, who has been instrumental in both my musical journey at the college and that of my fellow performers. He coached Thomas, Taoighan, and I in a Schubert trio that we performed during a recent Chamber Music Concert [November 28]. The three of us also take piano lessons with Professor Haringer.”

Thomas Donovan [piano]: “Professor Haringer organized the event with the staff at the Chapel Art Center as well as the Humanities Institute to advertise.  It was an honor and a privilege to be able to play on the Chapel Art Center’s wonderful instrument.”

On the pieces performed: 

Rachel Bender: The first piece I performed was called Mélodie from the opera Orfeo ed Euridice by Christophe Gluck. The piece was later romanticized by Fritz Kreisler to form a haunting piano/violin duet. The second duet was from the French opera Thaïs and is called Méditation. 

Taoighan Othot [cello]: “I played the first two (out of 3) movements of the A minor cello concerto by Camille Saint-Saëns.”

Thomas Donovan: “I performed four études by Chopin–the first and final pieces from each of his two sets of twelve. Études are short technical exercises, typically about 3 minutes in length. Chopin was one of the first to revolutionize the genre of étude by composing beautiful, complex performance pieces rather than simple (though technically difficult) exercises.”  

On the practice required for the concert:

Taoighan Othot: “I have been working on all three movements of this particular concerto since the summer. I typically practice between one and two hours most every day, in addition to my hour-long lesson once a week, and one or more (often several) sessions of practices and coaching for chamber music each week.”

Rachel Bender: “I learned these two duets before I knew about the concert, so I did not need to spend too much time preparing beforehand. I try to practice every day, although I often find weekends challenging due to my job and homework. I typically practice anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour when I can find the time.”

Thomas Donovan ’24: “I learned the études over a number of semesters, alongside several other pieces by Chopin (as well as some chamber music pieces by Schubert and Haydn), so it’s hard to say how much I have practiced them. It was much easier to get them back into shape than it was to learn them in the first place. On a good week, I practice somewhere around two hours a day, but even on a bad week, I try to practice for at least an hour a day (though some days I am too busy to even sit down at the piano).  Thankfully, this semester’s reading and writing load has felt relatively light compared to others, so I have been able to practice much more than any other semester.   

And, asked if they have other thoughts:

Rachel Bender: “I found it very enjoyable to be able to perform in a small environment with such excellent acoustics. I could hear and adjust my violin playing better than I am able to do in Koonz theater due to the resonance of the space. I was definitely nervous beforehand (as I am before every concert!); however, the staff of the Chapel Arts Center were very friendly and welcoming, which helped ease my nerves. It also helped to know that family and friends were in the audience.” 

Taoighan Othot: I loved playing in the Chapel Arts Center with Rachel and Thomas, my good friends and fellow trio members! It was lovely to hear them, play, and experience the acoustics of that space, which are very different from the acoustics in Koonz theatre, where we normally perform! I also was happy to see so many friends and family members in the audience.

Thomas Donovan: It was a wonderful experience, especially being able to play on the Bösendorfer [piano] for the first time.”