Collegiate Musicians Welcome the Concordia Chamber Players to Campus

Afternoon in the info commons and scholars trailing in, taking seats at long tables. Typical. Four musicians in a circle facing each other, plucking and strumming instruments to get in tune–FAbulous!

Collegiate Music Teacher Vincent Bello and his musicians recently welcomed Concordia Chamber Players to campus for the first time since the COVID pandemic closed schools. Concordia has partnered with FA, teaching master classes and inviting our scholars to perform at their local concerts.

“Seeing professionals play at a high level acts as a great inspiration for developing musicians,” Mr. Bello said. “We are beyond grateful to Concordia for offering their time and expertise.”

The chamber musicians stopped at FA before performing in New Hope, sharing a composition by Florence Price – one of the first black female composers and the first black woman to have a piece performed by a major orchestra in 1932.

The chamber musicians – Michelle Djokic, David Samuel, Gabriella Diaz and Siwoo Kim – discussed the dynamics of chamber music,  a collaborative effort performed without a conductor, and urged scholars to follow their passion in life.

“Music meant so much to me in high school, I realized I didn’t want to do anything else,” Ms. Diaz said.

Mr. Kim agreed, saying “Music was always so joyful – the harder your work, the better you get. It’s a challenging path as a musician – but what a dream!”