The tenor sang the works of Henry Purcell, Ottorino Respiighni, Gerald Finzi, Claude Debussy and Robert Schumann. The applause signaled the audience’s delight and Hans-Pan Ericson fulfilled a requirement for his music degree this day in mid March.
“I thought he did a great job,” Stephanie Koppel, 22, of Manhattan, a media studies major, said about Ericson. He was unavailable for an interview after the 7 p.m. show March 23. The casually clad Koppel wore light blues jeans, a Joan Jett T-shirt and black zip-hoodie, and was killing time as she waited for a friend to finish attending class because they had dinner plans.
All music students like Koppell, must fulfill particular requirements for their degrees. They must perform a recital, like Ericson, and usher for events. Melody Gallo, 26, of Queens, New York, a vocal performer major, ushered the Koppel recital. Dressed in formal black slacks, a fashionable beige sweater and black boots with a point as sharp as a note, she fulfilled a requirement for her degree. “As music major, you have to usher at least two performances a semester and you must attend a certain number of performances,” she said.
For music majors, this has always been a requirement,” Ruth DeFord, chair of the music department, said during an online interview. “There is no music performance degree program in the world that I know of that does not have such a requirement. It is absolutely standard practice.”
Regarding the Master of the Arts Recital, DeFord said, “I appoint a member as Director of Performance. This person is responsible for scheduling all of our recitals. The student’s private voice instructor is responsible for helping him select the repertoire and preparing him for the performance.”
“There is no fixed number of songs required, but we expect the time to be about 60-75 minutes. Students choose their reception in cooperation with their private instructors,” said DeFord. “For graduation recitals, we expect repertoire that covers a variety of historical periods and styles, and we require at least one group of songs in a language other than English. Most voice students will include at least two other languages.”
Michelle McCarthy of Staten Island, a general music major, showed off her passion for music by wearing black knee socks with white musical notes as she waited for instructions for ushering but found out she was scheduled for another date. She said she had performed in the Lang Recital Hall for her chamber music class. “It was the first time, so it was nerve wracking,” she said. “That performance had a good number of audience members. “There was a turnout of about 50 people.”
Students are also not the only ones performing in the Lang Recital Hall. McCarthy said faculty members perform also.
DeFord said, “The Lang Recital Hall, which was paid for in part by a gift from Eugene Lang, was part of the renovation on the North Building. The renovation took place in two stages, in 1994 and 2001.”
Eugene Lang is one of America’s most celebrated educational philanthropists. One can find further information at www.lang.edu. “I didn’t realize how much work went into the major,” said Koppel. “It’s a lot of dedication and it does take true talent.”