Aaron Berofsky will perform in Conrad Recital Hall
COURTESY | Melissa Knecht
The son of a world-renowned violinist will accompany his father on the piano to perform several duets, including Mozart’s Sonata in E-Flat Major, in the Conrad Recital Hall at 8 p.m. March 29.
“It’s another thing to see father and son, what they do to interact with each other,” Professor of Music Melissa Knecht said. “It’s always an interesting phenomenon, because genetically related people play together in a different way.”
The pair will play a sampling of the music that University of Michigan Professor of Violin Aaron Berofsky has performed with the Chester String Quartet.
“Berofsky is the real thing,” Knecht said. “He’s spent 15 years as chamber musician, and he’s toured throughout the world.”
Knecht said Charles Berofsky, the 24-year-old son of Berofsky, is an accomplished musician in his own right.
“He recently graduated from Eastman School of Music,” Knecht said. “Charles was one of the youngest people to win the concerto competition there in the history of Eastman.”
Knecht said the duo will feature a wide variety of music.
“He’s going to be playing Mozart, a modern piece called ‘No Man’s Land Lullaby,’ and pieces from Schumann and Manuel de Falla, Knecht said.
Freshman Aiden Watts, who has previously taken a lesson from Berofsky, said he plans to go to the recital.
“I’m very excited to learn from him again,” Watts said. “He had a lot of good feedback to give on my performance to become a better musician.”
According to Watts, the upcoming live performance is a chance to hear familiar music with a greater artistic depth.
“Everyone’s interpretation is slightly different,” Watts said. “You’re listening to the same piece, but one person might decide to shape a phrase differently. It’s definitely a great privilege to hear it from such an experienced performer as Berofsky.”
According to Knecht, this recital is a unique opportunity for students.
“It’s something you can’t always do, and you get to do it for free,” Knecht said. “If you went to other places, you’d have to pay a lot of money to hear this duo play.”
