Recorder Fest 2024 in American Recorder Magazine, Fall 2024, pub. American Recorder Society
by Kimberly Yocum
Learn more about Piffaro’s Recorder Fest here
Philadelphia – The Piffaro Recorder Fest 2024 was truly a celebration of the recorder. In the
afternoon, students were coached by early music experts, and the public event
began with a community “play-in” led by artistic director Priscilla Herreid. The
audience of more than 100 music lovers experienced a full range of musical styles
and stages of musical expression, from elementary school ensemble to
professional soloist in both live and pre-recorded video performances in this
unique concert.
For Philadelphia Recorder Society members, the day began with a masterclass by
two of the Fest performers, Teresa Deskur and Sarah Shodja. Teresa explained
that winning the Piffaro Recorder Competition in 2016 let her envision a career in
music. She was able to share her expertise throughout the day with Fest
participants during workshops and masterclasses at Settlement Music School,
where students were coached by Teresa and Sarah, Priscilla Herreid, Joan Kimball
and Leon Schelhase in preparation for the evening concert.
The “play-in” gave some twenty players a chance to perform Renaissance music
under Ms. Herreid’s direction, and her clear and concise suggestions resulted in
an ensemble that was not just playing notes on a page, but creating music
together.
Prepared performances began with fifth graders from Fountainwood Elementary
School, directed by Miriam Arbelo. Their poised display of traditional melodies
culminated in a trio performing The Ash Grove. A video submission by Josselin
Roger from New York followed, and the performances of Telemann and van Eyck
were virtuosic. Local Middle School students Corvin Fuchs-Orsher and Clara
Kersting were accompanied by harpsichordist Leon Schelhase in a Telemann Trio
Sonata, and their collaboration – begun for this event – was so successful they
intend to continue playing together. A video submission by 13-year-old composer
and performer David Brown featured his own piece, Perserverence, which
featured modern recorder techniques as well as piano accompaniment by his
brother, Jayce. The first half of the concert concluded with Virginia High School
student Knox Seabolt in an expressive performance of a Quantz Trio Sonata with
Ms. Deskur and Ms. Shoja.
Piffaro artistic directors past and present kicked off the second half with a
demonstration of Renaissance and Baroque recorders. Priscilla Herreid, Joan
Kimball and Bob Wiemken showed off the range of the recorder consort in both
size and sound. A video performance by two Connecticut teens, Claudia Griffel
and Sruthi Kommana, showed musical camaraderie in Telemann’s Canonic Sonata
in C Major. Knox Seabolt again took the stage, accompanied by Mr. Schelhase, in
a Barsanti Sonata that showcased his poise and focus. A brief technological glitch
interrupted a video performance by Vinayak Vikram, but nothing could interfere
with this California teens incredible virtuosic tempo in Vivaldi’s Allegro from
Concerto in c minor. Next onstage was Musica Sophia, performing on a matched
set of Renaissance-style recorders by Thomas Prescott. The six recorder players
switched instruments between their lively Holborne dances and the Isaac favorite
Insbruck, ich muss dich lassen. A final video performance by sisters Cecilia, Agnes
and Theodora Berry featured the earliest music of the night as they performed
anonymous settings of Stella splendens and Alle psallite cum luya from the 14 th
Century. To conclude the evening of joyful music making, Teresa Deskur and
Sarah Shojda performed a Loeillet Sonata.
This iteration of Recorder Fest grew out of Piffaro’s Recorder Competitions for
high school performers, which, throughout the 2000’s, was held regularly in
Philadelphia. This evolved into competitions for both Middle and High School
soloists as well as showcases for local school performing ensembles. Early
competition winners have gone on to study the recorder in college and launch
music careers, notable Alexa Raine-Wright, Martin Bernstein and Teresa Deskur.
The 2024 version of this event was truly a love letter to this remarkable
instrument, and featured the varied talents of young musicians from all across the
country. It also showcased the ability of the recorder to bring people of all ages
together to revel in making music together.