Fall Honors Recital Sept. 26 to Feature Student Excellence

Suny Geneseo Campus

Performing in the fall Honors Recital Sept. 26 are (l to r) Alec Friedman, Shiho Azuma, Xiangjing Chen, Francesca DiGiorgio, Brianna Kelly, Katherine Zaslavsky, Harrison Hartsough and Megan Martel.

GENESEO, N.Y.–– Geneseo’s annual fall Honors Recital will take place Sept. 26 at 3 p.m. in Doty Recital Hall. The concert will feature classical pieces performed by flutist Megan Martel; sopranos Francesca DiGiorgio and Brianna Kelly, and French hornist Katherine Zaslavsky. Also performing are saxophonist Alec Friedman, cellist Harrison Hartsough, and pianists Shiho Azuma and Xiangjing Chen.

Gerard Floriano, professor of music and department chair, explained that participants in the concert are chosen in the spring through the campus-wide Geneseo honors competition where interested students audition in front of non-Geneseo judges––typically Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra members.

Floriano noted that the students chosen for this year’s recital are either majors in their instrument or have concentrations in it.

“We train students at a very high level,” said Floriano. “The expectations are high, the standard is very high.”

The students have worked diligently over the summer to strengthen their skills in preparation for the recital. 

“A lot of the people that you’ll hear in this [concert] will go on to some of the best graduate programs in the country,” said Floriano. “A couple of them, if they’re lucky enough, will go on to have a career in it.”

Floriano added that in addition to the 3 p.m. performance in Doty, the Honors Recital students will also be playing at 8 p.m. in Lyric Theatre in Rochester, New York as part of Rochester’s annual Fringe Festival.

“It’s a great opportunity to hear the best of the best of Geneseo’s performers in the music program,” said Floriano. “It’s an opportunity to hear some great, young talent at Geneseo … If you can’t see them at 3 in the afternoon, come up to Rochester and make an evening of it.”

Both performances are free and open to the public.

News release written by College Communications intern Megan Tomaszewski.

Media Contact:
David Irwin
Senior Communications Manager
Media Relations Director
(585) 245-5529
Irwin@geneseo.edu