If there鈥檚 one distinction that every student, faculty member and administrator at the College of Music can be proud of, it鈥檚 that the spirit of cooperation is alive and well at the college. The sense of camaraderie鈥攐f many different groups working together toward a shared goal鈥攊s one that permeates every aspect of musical study at CU 麻豆影院.
Perhaps one of the chief reasons for that is the college鈥檚 prospering collaborative piano program.
鈥淔aculty here really bring our collaborative pianists into the process from the beginning,鈥� says Associate Professor of Collaborative Piano Alexandra Nguyen, who, along with Associate Professor Margaret McDonald, heads up the program. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a knowledge that we bring something to the table.鈥�
鈥淎nd the faculty have always been very open to collaboration from the start,鈥� says McDonald. 鈥淭hat helps make our program stronger as well.鈥�
Although partnership doesn鈥檛 begin and end with the collaborative piano program, Nguyen, McDonald and their colleagues take their responsibility to heart each time they begin the music-making process, following in the footsteps of higher education pioneers from the not-too-distant past.
A history lesson
Nguyen says that, despite the program鈥檚 success in 麻豆影院 and other schools around the country, the phrase 鈥渃ollaborative piano鈥� still raises eyebrows because it鈥檚 still relatively new to the music world.
鈥淚t had been called accompaniment for centuries. But the way these pieces are performed seems to have changed the perception of the role of the pianist,鈥� Nguyen explains. 鈥淭he earliest sonatas for violin and fortepiano were even written for the violin to accompany the piano.鈥�
Composers like Mozart and Beethoven would premiere their own sonatas as the pianist. There was no such thing as an 鈥渁ccompanist鈥� in the 18th and 19th centuries. Then came the advent of the piano virtuoso.
鈥淲ith pianists like Liszt, there was suddenly this new group of superstar performers. They would ultimately develop the 鈥榮olo鈥� performer, and the 鈥榮olo鈥� performance, and that led to the distinction in roles.
鈥淯ntil then, all pianists collaborated.鈥�
Nguyen says with the help of British pianist Gerald Moore, who told people he鈥檇 rather play with others than by himself, pianists more interested in collaborating began to have a path. In 1947, the University of Southern California founded the first master鈥檚 program in accompanying; a doctorate program followed in the 1970s.
鈥淭hen New York pianist Samuel Sanders in the 鈥�80s coined the term 鈥榗ollaborative piano.鈥� The word 鈥榓ccompanist鈥� can make us sound subservient. But I don鈥檛 play an 鈥榓ccompano,鈥� I play a piano,鈥� Nguyen asserts. 鈥淚 just love to play with other people when I do.鈥�
The term stuck, and since then, pianists like Jean Barr, Martin Katz and Margo Garrett followed Sanders鈥� lead. One of the discipline鈥檚 trailblazers, Anne Epperson, even helped start CU鈥檚 program.
A guiding principle
McDonald听has been playing music since she was a child. She says she was always shy growing up, but getting up on stage gave her a voice and helped her open up to people.
鈥淚鈥檝e always loved to perform, but when there is even one more person on stage with you, you have their energy as well. I become a different person when I鈥檓 up there performing.鈥�
McDonald first met Epperson as a performer in the Fischoff Competition. She then studied with her at the Music Academy of the West and then the University of California, Santa Barbara. When Epperson left California for 麻豆影院, McDonald came with her.
鈥淲e both fell in love with this community. It just seemed like the right place to have a program like this, one that鈥檚 integrated with all the studios.鈥�
Epperson and McDonald built the studio for several years until Epperson left to lay the foundation for another collaborative piano program at the University of Texas at Austin. That鈥檚 when Nguyen found herself in the foothills, after a winding road.
鈥淚 was actually going to be a medical doctor,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut after about a year, I realized physiology was not for me.鈥�
After a stretch of odd jobs鈥攔etail, clerical work鈥擭guyen began accompanying friends on piano. One thing led to another, and eventually she made what ended up being a pivotal decision and attended the Music Academy of the West.
Nguyen, too, worked with Epperson at the festival and school. 鈥淚 credit her for saving my career. I loved it鈥擨 loved working with other people. I went back to school and I decided I wanted to teach.鈥�
A goal for the future
Today, Nguyen and McDonald pride themselves in their unique approach to training the collaborative pianists of tomorrow.
鈥淢argaret and I both work with all of our students,鈥� Nguyen explains. 鈥淭hat brings a balance to our students鈥� lessons. It鈥檚 challenging, but we make our different approaches work because we鈥檙e both listening for the same things.鈥�
McDonald adds, 鈥淥ur students also get feedback from the other faculty, and we provide feedback for instrumentalists and vocalists. It鈥檚 great for them to have those different perspectives.
鈥淚n addition to that, we have such a great team that works with our students: Suyeon Kim and Hsiao-Ling Lin, and Mutsumi Moteki, Nick Carthy and Jeremy Reger are all actively working with our students. They鈥檙e a crucial part of what we do.鈥�
That鈥檚 what drew master鈥檚 student Mac Merchant to the program.
鈥淭he idea of having two lessons a week鈥攁nd getting to play with every different kind of instrumentalist and ensemble鈥攚as appealing, along with the idea of working with acclaimed guest teachers and clinicians,鈥� he says.
鈥淥ne of my best experiences here was working with [guest artist] Martin Katz, one of the most celebrated vocal coaches in the country.鈥�
In her mind, Nguyen sees collaborative piano at the doorstep of change.
鈥淭here are currently a handful of amazing pedagogues who built these programs, but they鈥檙e all going to retire in the next decade. Margaret and I have been talking about how we鈥檙e going to bring up the next generation of pedagogues鈥攕tudents who are interested in teaching, not just playing.鈥�
Alumna Christina Lalog Seal took those lessons with her as a faculty member at Northern Kentucky University, where she teaches aural skills and piano.
鈥淚 am grateful for a depth of experiences at CU,鈥� Seal says. 鈥淩ehearsing operas with Maestro Carthy at the podium and team-teaching Intro to Accompanying with Dr. Nguyen were some of my best memories.鈥�
Regardless of what the future holds, one principle will always guide the teaching in the department.
鈥淐ollaborative piano is stimulating because it鈥檚 different every time. You can play the same piece with various partners and have completely distinct interpretations,鈥� Nguyen says. 鈥淎nd you never know what opportunities will come from a collaboration or what new experiences your next concert might lead to.鈥�
Doctoral student Cecilia Lo-Chien Kao, who has also studied with Anne Epperson, knows that firsthand. She performed in November at the Carnegie Hall showcase concert.
鈥淭hat was the best experience I鈥檝e had here,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s a collaborative pianist, it is an essential skill to be able to cope with different stage pressures and a variety of repertoire. In other words, you need to love performing! Having the opportunity to perform in such a venue was a great experience for me.鈥�
McDonald says in addition to those high-profile performances, she鈥檚 pleased to be able to play with the best in the world right here in 麻豆影院.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a sense that if you鈥檝e played Carnegie Hall, you鈥檝e made it. Which is true, but I鈥檝e also performed with Paula Robison, Ian Bousfield and many others here. I鈥檝e forged a connection with them: When you play together on the stage, it connects you a way that nothing else can.鈥�
This Tuesday, March 7, Alexandra Nguyen takes the stage for Faculty Tuesday, joined by Patrick Mason, Harumi Rhodes and David Requiro. The free recital begins at 7:30 p.m. Find more information on the Faculty Tuesday page or watch live online.
