On 8 December 2022, students from LVL Music Academy came together at the Esplanade Recital Studio for Magic of Christmas, an evening of solo, ensemble and orchestral performances celebrating music and the festive season.
Running from 7:00pm to 9:30pm with an intermission, the concert brought students at different stages of their musical development onto the same stage and culminated in a performance by the LVL Orchestra.
An Evening of Student Performances
The first part of the programme gave students opportunities to perform individually and in smaller musical settings.
The repertoire ranged across several periods and styles, with works by composers including Bach, Handel, Mozart, Gluck, Bruch, Haydn, Vieuxtemps, Chopin and Beethoven.
This variety gave the concert a broader musical character than a purely Christmas-themed recital. Students were able to present repertoire they had been preparing while also contributing to the larger festive programme.
The concert also featured the LVL Junior Ensemble, providing younger musicians with the experience of playing together as a group before the evening moved into its orchestral finale.
From Individual Performance to Orchestra
One of the distinctive aspects of Magic of Christmas 2022 was the progression from individual performances to ensemble and orchestral playing.
Performing alone requires a student to take responsibility for an entire piece, while playing in an ensemble introduces another set of skills: listening across the group, following a shared pulse, responding to other musicians and understanding how an individual part contributes to the complete performance.
At LVL, concerts such as this provide students with opportunities to experience both sides of performance as part of their wider musical development.
A Festive Finale by the LVL Orchestra
Following the intermission, the LVL Orchestra brought together a considerably larger group of musicians.
The orchestra included strings alongside flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn and piano, giving students the opportunity to experience performing within a fuller orchestral setting.
Its programme included Boccherini’s Minuet and Jupiter by Gustav Holst, followed by a festive medley featuring familiar Christmas music including Jingle Bells, Silent Night and Joy to the World.
The combination of classical repertoire and Christmas music created an appropriate conclusion to the year’s performances.
Celebrating Music Together
Concerts are not simply about the few minutes a student spends on stage. They represent the preparation that takes place beforehand — lessons, individual practice, rehearsals and learning how to perform alongside other musicians.
Magic of Christmas 2022 brought these different parts of music learning together in one evening at Esplanade.
Looking back, the concert forms part of LVL’s continuing history of creating opportunities for students to move beyond the lesson room, perform for an audience and experience making music together.
