The Millikin Decatur Symphony Orchestra presented Masterworks III: A Mosaic from Heaven and Young Artists on February 7th at the Kirkland Fine Arts Center. The concert, led by guest conductor Alison Gaines, featured five works, including Jean Sibelius’ “Symphony in E-flat Major.”
Two of the evening’s featured performances came from the student winners of Millikin University’s Concerto/Aria Competition, whose performances highlighted both technical skill and personal connection to the music.
“I’m very tired as it was a long week preparing for this performance, but I’m feeling very fulfilled,” senior marimba soloist Eric Brindle said.
Brindle noted that performing in a live concert setting brought a different type of pressure compared to rehearsals or the competition.
“A performance will always feel different no matter how well you know the piece,” he said. “Feeling the unwavering gaze of a room full of spectators always puts more pressure on you, especially as a soloist.”
Brindle also shared that his interpretation of the concerto shifted since the audition process, explaining that he took a more conservative tempo during the concert performance.
“Movement II stood out to me the most,” Brindle said. “I felt I connected very deeply with the orchestra to create a highly emotional performance.”
Having previously performed the piece with piano accompaniment, Brindle described performing with the full orchestra as a powerful experience.
“Performing it with the full ensemble elevates the piece to the next level,” he said. “It felt empowering being on stage and having an orchestra backing me.”
The concerto held deep personal significance for Brindle, who first learned the piece as a sophomore in high school.
“Finally performing the piece with an orchestra in my senior year in college was almost like a full-circle moment for me,” Brindle said.
The second concerto performance featured sophomore clarinetist Isabella Haney, who performed Carl Maria von Weber’s “Concertino, Op. 26” with the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra.
“I am extremely proud of my performance, and I think it was my best run of it,” Haney said. “I can’t put into words how happy I was to see all my friends and family that came to support me afterward.”
For Haney, one of the most memorable moments of the performance came at the very beginning of the piece.
“Definitely the first note that I played,” Haney said. “It’s such a difficult entrance, but when executed right, it’s so beautiful, the way the clarinet creeps in.”
Performing with a professional orchestra was a major milestone for Haney.
“Absolutely amazing,” Haney said. “I never would have guessed that at only 19 years old I would be playing a concerto with a professional orchestra.”
Winning the Concerto/Aria Competition also affirmed Haney’s decision to pursue music performance.
“After finding out the results from the competition, I knew that this is what I was made to do,” she said.
Together, the concerto performances embodied the spirit of A Mosaic from Heaven and Young Artists, showcasing collaboration between student musicians and professionals while celebrating individual artistry.
Through their personal connections to their repertoire and shared musicianship with the orchestra, the soloists delivered performances that stood out as defining moments of the evening.
