Josie played a highly successful Junior Recital this week. The near-capacity crowd in Kulas Recital Hall was ample testimony to the large group of dedicated friends and admirers she has on campus, and helped elevate the concert into an event. Her program featured music of five different composers and included some of the repertoire’s most beloved warhorses. (The full program is reproduced at the end of the post). She handled it all with professional aplomb.

She opened with a brilliant reading of three of Villa-Lobos’ Etudes. Her sensitive sculpting of the musical lines, combined with her physical command of the challenging passagework resulted in a riveting performance.

Her switch of character as she began her Bach selections was delightful and highly appropriate, as the Baroque selections were delicate and light by contrast. Again switching mood, she followed her Bach with a beautiful tremolo piece by Greek composer Dimitri Fampas. This seldom-played romantic work deserves more stage time, as the audience’s rapturous reaction made abundantly clear.

Next, she played Domeniconi’s Turkish variations, a major piece that she commands easily. The audience hooted and hollered afterwards.

Josie finished with a beautiful rendition of Barrios’ La Catedral, a piece she delivered with comfortable nuance and impressive strength. The piece’s most challenging moment, it’s final cadence, she landed perfectly. The audience rewarded her with an immediate standing ovation.