If thereās one distinction that every student, faculty member and administrator at the College of Music can be proud of, itās that the spirit of cooperation is alive and well at the college. The sense of camaraderieāof many different groups working together toward a shared goalāis one that permeates every aspect of musical study at CU Boulder.
Perhaps one of the chief reasons for that is the collegeās prospering collaborative piano program.
āFaculty here really bring our collaborative pianists into the process from the beginning,ā says Associate Professor of Collaborative Piano Alexandra Nguyen, who, along with Associate Professor Margaret McDonald, heads up the program. āThereās a knowledge that we bring something to the table.ā
āAnd the faculty have always been very open to collaboration from the start,ā says McDonald. āThat helps make our program stronger as well.ā
Although partnership doesnāt begin and end with the collaborative piano program, Nguyen, McDonald and their colleagues take their responsibility to heart each time they begin the music-making process, following in the footsteps of higher education pioneers from the not-too-distant past.
A history lesson
Nguyen says that, despite the programās success in Boulder and other schools around the country, the phrase ācollaborative pianoā still raises eyebrows because itās still relatively new to the music world.
āIt had been called accompaniment for centuries. But the way these pieces are performed seems to have changed the perception of the role of the pianist,ā Nguyen explains. āThe earliest sonatas for violin and fortepiano were even written for the violin to accompany the piano.ā
Composers like Mozart and Beethoven would premiere their own sonatas as the pianist. There was no such thing as an āaccompanistā in the 18th and 19th centuries. Then came the advent of the piano virtuoso.
āWith pianists like Liszt, there was suddenly this new group of superstar performers. They would ultimately develop the āsoloā performer, and the āsoloā performance, and that led to the distinction in roles.
āUntil then, all pianists collaborated.ā
Nguyen says with the help of British pianist Gerald Moore, who told people heād rather play with others than by himself, pianists more interested in collaborating began to have a path. In 1947, the University of Southern California founded the first masterās program in accompanying; a doctorate program followed in the 1970s.
āThen New York pianist Samuel Sanders in the ā80s coined the term ācollaborative piano.ā The word āaccompanistā can make us sound subservient. But I donāt play an āaccompano,ā I play a piano,ā Nguyen asserts. āI just love to play with other people when I do.ā
The term stuck, and since then, pianists like Jean Barr, Martin Katz and Margo Garrett followed Sandersā lead. One of the disciplineās trailblazers, Anne Epperson, even helped start CUās program.
A guiding principle
McDonaldĢżhas been playing music since she was a child. She says she was always shy growing up, but getting up on stage gave her a voice and helped her open up to people.
āIāve always loved to perform, but when there is even one more person on stage with you, you have their energy as well. I become a different person when Iām up there performing.ā
McDonald first met Epperson as a performer in the Fischoff Competition. She then studied with her at the Music Academy of the West and then the University of California, Santa Barbara. When Epperson left California for Boulder, McDonald came with her.
āWe both fell in love with this community. It just seemed like the right place to have a program like this, one thatās integrated with all the studios.ā
Epperson and McDonald built the studio for several years until Epperson left to lay the foundation for another collaborative piano program at the University of Texas at Austin. Thatās when Nguyen found herself in the foothills, after a winding road.
āI was actually going to be a medical doctor,ā she says. āBut after about a year, I realized physiology was not for me.ā
After a stretch of odd jobsāretail, clerical workāNguyen began accompanying friends on piano. One thing led to another, and eventually she made what ended up being a pivotal decision and attended the Music Academy of the West.
Nguyen, too, worked with Epperson at the festival and school. āI credit her for saving my career. I loved itāI loved working with other people. I went back to school and I decided I wanted to teach.ā
A goal for the future
Today, Nguyen and McDonald pride themselves in their unique approach to training the collaborative pianists of tomorrow.
āMargaret and I both work with all of our students,ā Nguyen explains. āThat brings a balance to our studentsā lessons. Itās challenging, but we make our different approaches work because weāre both listening for the same things.ā
McDonald adds, āOur students also get feedback from the other faculty, and we provide feedback for instrumentalists and vocalists. Itās great for them to have those different perspectives.
āIn addition to that, we have such a great team that works with our students: Suyeon Kim and Hsiao-Ling Lin, and Mutsumi Moteki, Nick Carthy and Jeremy Reger are all actively working with our students. Theyāre a crucial part of what we do.ā
Thatās what drew masterās student Mac Merchant to the program.
āThe idea of having two lessons a weekāand getting to play with every different kind of instrumentalist and ensembleāwas appealing, along with the idea of working with acclaimed guest teachers and clinicians,ā he says.
āOne of my best experiences here was working with [guest artist] Martin Katz, one of the most celebrated vocal coaches in the country.ā
In her mind, Nguyen sees collaborative piano at the doorstep of change.
āThere are currently a handful of amazing pedagogues who built these programs, but theyāre all going to retire in the next decade. Margaret and I have been talking about how weāre going to bring up the next generation of pedagoguesāstudents who are interested in teaching, not just playing.ā
Alumna Christina Lalog Seal took those lessons with her as a faculty member at Northern Kentucky University, where she teaches aural skills and piano.
āI am grateful for a depth of experiences at CU,ā Seal says. āRehearsing operas with Maestro Carthy at the podium and team-teaching Intro to Accompanying with Dr. Nguyen were some of my best memories.ā
Regardless of what the future holds, one principle will always guide the teaching in the department.
āCollaborative piano is stimulating because itās different every time. You can play the same piece with various partners and have completely distinct interpretations,ā Nguyen says. āAnd you never know what opportunities will come from a collaboration or what new experiences your next concert might lead to.ā
Doctoral student Cecilia Lo-Chien Kao, who has also studied with Anne Epperson, knows that firsthand. She performed in November at the Carnegie Hall showcase concert.
āThat was the best experience Iāve had here,ā she says. āAs a collaborative pianist, it is an essential skill to be able to cope with different stage pressures and a variety of repertoire. In other words, you need to love performing! Having the opportunity to perform in such a venue was a great experience for me.ā
McDonald says in addition to those high-profile performances, sheās pleased to be able to play with the best in the world right here in Boulder.
āThereās a sense that if youāve played Carnegie Hall, youāve made it. Which is true, but Iāve also performed with Paula Robison, Ian Bousfield and many others here. Iāve forged a connection with them: When you play together on the stage, it connects you a way that nothing else can.ā
This Tuesday, March 7, Alexandra Nguyen takes the stage for Faculty Tuesday, joined by Patrick Mason, Harumi Rhodes and David Requiro. The free recital begins at 7:30 p.m. Find more information on the Faculty Tuesday page or watch live online.
