The University of Indianapolis Faculty Artist Concert Series held a concert entitled “Shir Yisrael: Songs from the Hebrew Tradition,” which featured faculty musicians Elisabeth Hoegberg, Cale Hoeflicker and Mitzi Westra.
The concert included many Hebrew- inspired pieces written by various composers. Hoegberg played the piano while Hoeflicker played the guitar and Westra sang soprano vocals to both instruments.
The concert opened with two pieces—“Kaddisch” by French composer Maurice Ravel and “Kol Nidrei” by C.W. Verrinder. The piece was performed by Hoegberg playing the piano and Westra singing vocals.
Directly after the first two pieces, the audience was led into a piece by Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco entitled “Fantasia for Guitar and Piano, Op. 145.” This piece was an instrument duo performed by Hoeflicker playing the guitar and Hoegberg playing the piano.
The concert was mellow and made getting lost in the music easy, according to freshman psychology major Jodeci Daniels.
“I felt that although I may not have understood exactly what was being said, I was connected to the music because of how good the performers played and sang,” Daniels said.
Four pieces by Canadian composer Ben Steinberg entitled, “Mah Tovu,” “Ahavat Olam,” “R’Tzei Vim’Nuchateinu” and “Yism’chu” were played. The pieces were performed with Hoegberg playing the piano and Westra singing.
Hoegberg then performed a solo piece entitled “Four Sabras,” which included four short pieces composed by American composer Leonard Bernstein. The pieces included “Llana, the Dreamer,” “Idele, The Chassidele,” “Yosi, the Jokester” and “Dina, the Tomboy Who Weeps Alone.”
Following Hoegberg’s solo, the audience was then led into a piece entitled “Eight Sephardic Songs” which was made up of four pieces “Adio Querida,” “Nani, Nani,” “Los Bibilicos” and “Montañas Altas.” The pieces were performed by Hoeflicker playing guitar and Westra’s vocals.
The concert concluded with a solo by Hoegberg. On piano, she played a piece entitled “Three Jewish Dances,” which included “Sher,” “Yemenite Wedding Dance” and “Hora.”
Freshman nursing major Taylor Morst found the performance very interesting and a unique experience.
“I really enjoyed the program,” Morst said, “and being able to be exposed to a different culture through music.”
