By Sarah McMillin, Staff Writer
Seniors Ben Nause, tenor, and John Uhlig, baritone, performed a joint senior recital on March 29 in Stretansky Music Hall.
Nause and Uhlig alternated performing their respective pieces throughout the concert and were accompanied by Lecturer in Music Jaime Namminga. While the repertoire was mostly in classical music, there were variations in style.
Nause, for example, sang a piece by Handel’s “Atlanta” from 1736 during the first half of the concert. He ended his solo repertoire, however, with a set that included pieces from the late 1800s and the early 1900s.
Likewise, Uhlig, also started off more classical in his repertoire and ended with a more modern set.
Nause’s favorite piece of the night was the last. It was a duet sung by Nause and Uhlig of “You’re Nothing Without Me” from “City of Angels.”
This piece featured both Nause and Uhlig as well as a full band of their fellow musicians. The piece ended in a standing ovation.
“All of the scheduling and emails were worth it,” Nause said. “Having the chance to perform and the opportunity to be in this space is just wonderful.”
Nause also had done a junior recital last year. He chose to do another in his senior year for another opportunity to perform.
For Uhlig, this was his first recital. Despite having performed in front of his peers and the general public before, he was still nervous about holding the audience’s attention throughout his various sets.
“I had done the work and was well-prepared, but through all the rehearsals and lessons, I was still not quite letting myself let go and be in the moment,” Uhlig said. “When I walked on stage the night of the recital and saw all my friends, family and teachers there, it finally clicked that they were all here to support me.”
“They were not there to criticize me – they all wanted me to succeed,” Uhlig continued. “This realization took most of the pressure off me and I let myself have some fun and take some risks. The payoff was immense. That was some of the best singing I’ve ever done.”
For both Uhlig and Nause, the months leading up to the recital were filled with hard work. Many music students begin choosing music for their senior recitals years before. Then, before they can get the final approval for the recital, the musicians must pass a hearing in front of members of the music faculty. For this recital, the repertoire was set by winter break in 2018.
According to Uhlig, the hard work paid off.
“Putting in the grunt work on the front end frees up the space for artistry when it comes time to perform,” Uhlig said.
“As talented as Beyonce is, she is no accident,” he continued. “She puts in the hours, attends to details and continuously strives to reach the next level. A seemingly effortless performance is actually the culmination of blood, sweat and tears.”
When asked if they were relieved the recital was over, both Nause and Uhlig responded with positivity.
“I answered no,” Nause said. “I felt happy.”
“I will always look back on mine and [Nause’s] recital as a great moment in my life as well as a lesson learned on being a successful artist,” Uhlig said.
