Young piano students give solo performances

Vernon — Every young musician dreams of a solo performance where friends and family would admire their skills and enjoy the music. Five young piano students recently had just such an opportunity, when on May 2, they performed at the United Methodist Church. “It is a great accomplishment for an 8-year-old to be in the spotlight playing a Beethoven sonatina and other classical compositions,” says their teacher Margaret Korczynski. That was the case with third-graders Maya Rakoczy, from Vernon, Siena Tipton, a student at St. Joseph Regional School and Olivia Coyle, who attends The Rev. Brown Memorial School. Their performances were followed by Kristen McCormack, an eighth-grader from Vernon and Anna Murphy, a junior form Blairstown. The students of this mini-piano solo recital presented works by Chopin, Albeniz, Sinding, Tschaikovsky, Clementi, Strauss, Burgmuller and others. Every piece of music was introduced with commentary by their teacher, who is the owner of the Sussex County Music Workshop in McAfee. The audience appreciated the information about the composers, and the style of the compositions, she reports. “This form of a mini solo recital will aid these young talented students in their pursuit and preparation for a full solo performance in the future,” Korczynski says.