Audience members in room 3400 in the Music building were taken through a rollercoaster of emotions during the weekly concert series May 10.
Pianist Danny Holt and accordionist Merima Kljuco performed 10 songs from various cultures and composers, including three world premieres.
Holt specializes in performing contemporary works, 20th-century music, and obscure and neglected repertoire from past centuries, according to the program sheet.
The bellow slowly opened and closed as the soothing sound filled the room. Then, unexpectedly, a variety of mellow but sharp tones coming from the piano completed the first song played.
“I felt like the piano and the accordion were having a conversation, and the piano was used differently is usually an instrument that plays very smooth which is something I‘ve never seen before,” said student Mayra Tovar.
Students and music fans were fortunate to hear the world premiere of Canalie, the first song, which was recently composed by Robin Cox.
Duos Holt and Kljuco have been paying beside each other for a few days but both have 24 years of experience and similar compositional processes.
“I use an idea, and I usually go over that idea in my head a lot before I even write it on paper,” said Holt while explaining how he begins his compositional process.
Though both agreed on that concept, Kljuco added details and different aspects on how she describes real life things through her music.
“When you watch a movie and the scenes or when you see a picture you think wow music can describe that,” she said.
The song “38-25=31-25,” where Holt used drumsticks instead of his fingers and tossed ping pong balls to the piano, caused the most reaction from the audience.
“I never though an instrument can be used other ways then playing outside of it,” Tovar said. “It was very weird.”
Tovar, who says that she never missed a concert in the Thursday series, was pleased with the outcome.
“This was by far my favorite one. I usually start falling asleep,” she said. “But I thought it was very happy and joyful.”
Usually when two instruments play together, the idea is to compliment one another in the same song, but the duo did the opposite to cause a sense of individuality.
“It is like playing around with chaos and control,” said Holt as he explained the differences. “We respond to each other in our opposite ways.”
Kljuco travels around the world performing as a recitalist and a guest soloist with orchestras, something she knew she wanted to do since she was a little girl.
“My parents were afraid to give me such a big instrument but I wanted it, I knew I wanted to play accordion,” she said.
Every musician has their own unique way of performing and connecting with the music and most of the time it can be read through their gestures and body language.
“There are no thoughts, I am totally in the moment,” said Kljuco. “The moment [you have] thoughts you are cheating the audience.”
