The crisp autumn breeze leads the path to the UT San Antonio concert hall, where Assistant Professor of Practice and Music Voice Crystal Jarell Johnson’s studio recital in collaboration with pianists Anna Hakobyan and Geoffrey Waite takes place.
A dramatic shift of keys shocks the audience. Abraham Gomez, a bass-baritone singer, opens the recital with Carl Loewe’s “Lieder Op. 145 No. 5, Reiterlied,” delivering a powerful rendition that amazes the audience. He closes his performance with Igor Gurney’s “Sleep,” one of Gurney’s Five Elizabethan Songs — the slow-paced ballad carries a melancholic feeling throughout the song.
Snowflakes and a cold breeze welcome Maya Milan’s performance. Samuel Barber’s “Must the Winter Come So Soon?” from “Vanessa” plays. The mezzo-soprano fearfully releases each note. A faint dissonance is heard in the sudden shift within her voice, almost as if her confidence slowly slips away, yet Milan quickly grasps her poise, gracefully concluding her performance.
A baritone singer enters the stage, with an accompanying gentle tune, Drew Sefcik performs “Cabin” by Paul Bowles. The ballad uses subtle tempo shifts between major and minor keys, representing the two sides of good and evil; Sefcik’s delivery faintly captures the battling emotions the song embodies. While Sefcik’s performance demonstrates the charm of a baritone, his indifference towards the piece undermines the meaning behind the conflicted emotions portrayed in Blue Mountain Ballads’ “Cabin.”
The first notes of Ruggiero Leoncavallo’s “Mattinata” reverberate through the hall. Each gentle note delivers a bright, charming serenade to the audience. Julian Puga’s vibrant voice colors the concert hall with the sweet morning air that Leoncavallo portrays in his piece.
Katie Vanderpot enters the stage, grief in her eyes and a sorrowful piano signals to the audience that the first piece will be melancholic. Vanderpot first performs Alessandro Scarlatti’s “Son Tutta Duolo” from “La Donna Ancora è Fedele,” followed by “The Salley Gardens” arranged by Benjamin Britten. The mezzo-soprano singer delivers power and sentiment between each song. Proudly looking at the distance, Vanderpot leaves the stage.
Deeana Jaini-Malave’s striking first note stuns the audience. “Iris Hence Away” from the play “Semele” debuts the performance. Jaini-Malava skillfully vocalizes a strenuous song, which requires a cautious approach within each note, impressing the listener with how she accomplishes holding such impressive tones.
The marvelous performance of Madeleine Phipps inflicts despair and heartbreak upon the audience. Her heart-wrenching voice and gestures strike one’s soul, perfectly portraying Jules Massenet’s piece for “Werther.” The lyrical tone of her deliverance was quite understanding of the story in “Va Laisse Couler Mes Larmes.”
Michael Reyes begins Franz Schubert’s “Der Neugierige” from “Die Schöne Müllerin” by delivering a soft uncertainty that showcases the narrator’s feelings for love. Reyes carries the story of obsession and confusion with a mellow timbre, leaving the audience amazed by the touching performance.
Michael Reyes closes the night with a passion-filled rendition of Miguel Sandoval’s “Sin Tu Amor.” The thunderous declarations of limerence in Reyes’ voice filled the auditorium with breathtaking amazement. His powerful act delivers emotion throughout the piece, receiving a standing ovation from some people in the audience.
“Fall into Song,” a recital by Crystal Jarell Johnson’s studio in collaboration with Anna Hakobyan and Geoffery Waite delivered a grandiose act. Performers showcased their hard work and dedication throughout the recital, skillfully executing the exquisite pieces that were a perfect fit for an autumn night at UT San Antonio’s concert hall.
