Secret Listener at March Recital

Yes, there was a special guest in the audience for the recital on March 26th.  Ms. Queener is fortunate to have a long time friend of Ute Puhst Freund, an opera singer who has performed in Europe and the United States and now teaches at the Universitaet der Kuenste Berlin.  Ms. Freund was visiting in Alameda just when the studio was having its spring recital and asked to attend.

Naturally, Ms. Queener wanted candid feedback from this top-tier musician and teacher, no consideration for the personal connection, please!  This is what Ms. Freund emailed to the studio: 

"I think the recital was well thought out, well paced and with 45-50 minutes just the right length for a student recital.  The pieces were absolutely adequate to the abilities of the students.  All of the 12 students seemed well rehearsed and seriously concentrating on the music.  Stage fright, that affects all performers more or less, seemed well under control by everyone as a result of excellent preparation.  They also had the routine down of taking a bow and acknowledging the applause of the very attentive audience, an important social skill.  I enjoyed very much being there.  Bravo and a big thank you to the teachers, Carolyn and Katy!!!"  

In addition, Ms. Queener and Ms. Freund discussed some individual students and there were special compliments for the expressive playing and technical abilities of those.  There were suggestions for moving some of the exceptional students to even higher levels.  All in all, every performer can be proud of their performance; the entire recital got high marks!