Chamber Music Society hits high note during spring show

Before faculty, friends and even a few administrators, some of Penn's finest musicians brought much sought-after attention to undergraduate music performance. Last Thursday night, the Amado Recital room of Irvine Auditorium was packed with about 200 music enthusiasts. The Penn Chamber Music Society, which is entirely student-run and not funded by Student Activities Council, was organized less than a year ago. And in two short semesters, what began last summer as a group of students searching for other musicians with whom they could rehearse and perform turned into a 70-member group with about 25 different ensembles. In a move that could gain more recognition for the group in coming semesters, PCMS held a concert to showcase its talents to the administration. Yet despite personal invites, top-level academic administrators did not attend. "Only a few of the administration that we have closely worked with in the past actually came, though we sent out invitations to so many more," said Jayon You, artistic chair of the society and a College junior. Currently, Penn is the only Ivy League school without a recognized chamber music program, meaning that there is no campus outlet for many talented students to hone their skills and perform. "For me, as a pianist there was definitely no real opportunity before," said PCMS Co-Vice President Megan McGill, a College sophomore. "It brings together a lot of students who are so talented, but didn't have the chance to express that before." "With this concert, we especially made sure to invite administration because the Music Department at Penn is very weak and we want them to see how reactive people are to our program," You said. While Penn is strong in music composition and theory, it has no performance program toward a degree. The group did succeed in recruiting students at auditions during the start of both semesters, and at last week's performance. "The huge turnout tells you something about the state of music at Penn," PCMS President and College sophomore Clare Wang said. "We feel like we are pioneers of undergraduate music at Penn because we are creating great opportunities and raising awareness in general." The concert lasted nearly two hours and showcased musical pieces ranging from the classical sounds of Shubert to the more contemporary pieces of Prokoffiev. "Being in a smaller group, you have more of an opportunity to pick what you want to play," McGill said.