Frankie Amore and Linna Zheng will take the stage to perform their student recitals at Nutt Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 7. Both artists will be accompanied by Instructor in Collaborative Piano Yoojung Kim.
Zheng, a junior music performance major from Fulton, Miss., said the theme of love is displayed throughout her music selections, Poème, Op. 25 by Ernest Chausson and Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major by César Franck.
Poème, Op. 25 is inspired by Ivan Turgenev’s short story “The Song of Love Triumphant,” which explores themes of passion and longing as it tells the story of two young men falling in love with the same woman.
“I think both pieces of work have their own characteristics and uniqueness. Learning these two works has taught me how to become more authentic because I think, as humans, we learn from love,” Zheng said.
Freshman music education major Charmaine Manzano looks forward to Zheng’s performance.
“I am really excited to see how she interprets each piece,” Manzano said. “With her previous performances I’ve seen her put a lot of feeling and emotion into them, which will tie into the theme of her recital very well.”
Preparations for this recital have taught Zheng the importance of valuing every moment — both on and off the stage.
“There are numerous instances where I doubt myself, especially when I have technical difficulties with certain pieces of music. I think having those moments are important, as they allow me to evaluate myself and really think about the ‘why’ in music,” Zheng said. “My pianist, Dr. Kim, told me once during a coaching session that ‘the recital is not the end, but the beginning.’ There will always be unforeseen circumstances, good or bad, and the important thing is how we cope and learn with these instances.”
As for Frankie Amore, a senior music education major from Charles Town, W.Va., his recital titled “The Bassoon is a Joke” will use his music selection to show the audience a bit of humor surrounding an instrument with unique characteristics.
Amore will perform Songs for Wicked Children by Amber Ferenz, Aeon by Daniel Baldwin and Sonata “Abassoonata” by P.D.Q. Bach.
Amore’s music selections for his recital are intended to be in honor of Peter Schikele, who created a character by the name of P.D.Q. Bach, claiming he was the long lost son of the Bach family. In these pieces, he incorporates comedy, theatrics and bizarre instrumentation into classical music with the goal of blending humor into a form of music that many see as pretentious.
“When I heard Peter Schikele passed away in 2024, I knew that I wanted to make my senior recital (in honor of) him and his work by programming one of his pieces, along with two that fall into the variety of music he chose to write. This is also where the title for my program comes from,” Amore said. “‘The Bassoon Is a Joke’ not only pokes fun at the odd qualities of the instrument, but it also previews the program I will be putting on as many view P.D.Q. Bach works as ‘joke music.’”
As a pole vaulter for the Ole Miss Men’s Track and Field Team, Amore is tasked with balancing his art and athleticism. However, he sees this as an opportunity for growth rather than a hindrance.
“Balancing music and athletics has definitely been tough at times, but it’s something I’ve done my entire life,” Amore said. “The two can definitely take away from one another, but it truly does help prevent me from burning out or getting overwhelmed with one or the other.”
After several years of exercising his two talents, Amore has found ways to intersect the two and use them both as a constant form of expression.
“In terms of translations from music to athletics, I always try to combine the skills I have in both areas,” Amore said. “When I compete in pole vaulting, I always try to put on a performance like I’m on the stage. I wear fun socks, decorate my spikes and always try to make my vaults look like art.”
Amore takes a complementary approach to the bassoon.
“In music, when I perform, I always try to incorporate movement and athleticism within my delivery of musical passages and attempt to have a dominating stage presence, the same way I would when competing athletically,” Amore said.
