School of Music and Department of Dance Come Together with William and Mary Professor for “Fragments of Movement and Sound”
Jihea Hong-Park, professor of piano at Brigham Young University, noticed that many of her students loved studying classics such as Bach and Mozart, but were intimidated by contemporary works. As she pondered how to change students’ perspectives, she came across a video of Ravel’s “Boléro” performing with a ballet company in her social media feed. Seeing the collaboration online inspired her to collaborate in a similar way at BYU — she immediately reached out to professors Kori Wakamatsu and Keely Song Glenn from BYU’s dance department.
Within days, she had 11 dance faculty choreographers excited to participate. Each faculty then invited select students to perform. Professor Hong-Park also reached out to her colleague, Sophia Serghi, a professor of music at William & Mary in Virginia, who graciously agreed to compose a new work of contemporary music specifically for the group of BYU students to perform.
That is how “Fragments of Movement and Sound,” a collaboration between the School of Music and Department of Dance, came to be.
The “Fragments of Movement and Sound” concert had two collaborative parts. The first featured the world premiere of “Situations” for solo piano, composed by Sophia Serghi specifically for the Hong-Park Piano Studio. Serghi created 13 vignettes, each paired with her original artwork to evoke a mood or character inspired by everyday situations in life.
Then, the School of Music and the Department of Dance performed György Ligeti’s “Musica Ricercata.” This second collaboration brought together 11 pianists, 11 faculty choreographers and 18 dancers from different areas of BYU’s Department of Dance. Keely Song Glenn, a professor of dance, brought logistical support and her expertise in preparation for this concert with live music.
“Through these artistic collaborations, I hoped my students would broaden their perspectives and discover new ways to experience and understand contemporary music,” Hong-Park said. “I wanted my students to understand that it’s essential for 21st-century musicians to expand their repertoire to include contemporary composers and, more specifically, to become advocates for living composers.”
Hong-Park’s hope for her students came to fruition for Jacie Glen, a piano student who worked on the project. “Meeting with Dr. Serghi was an unforgettable experience,” said Glen. “I was inspired by her ability to hear and imagine music for any life situation. What I enjoyed most about collaborating with the dancers and Dr. Serghi was realizing that music is meant to be enjoyed in a collaborative setting. While much of a musician’s work is solitary in a practice room, music’s true power emerges in shared experiences making it a universal language that everyone can understand and experience in diverse ways.”
After the event, Serghi wrote: “I am so beyond impressed with the work you all do at BYU, and above all, the love, warmth and hospitality I experienced these last two days. I am in awe of the love you have for music and each other, the dedication to faith and the passion for the highest standard of education. Thank you for inviting me to be part of your community.”
Collaboration gives artists the opportunity to learn from other art forms, and the College of Fine Arts and Communications provides the space for these wonderful interdisciplinary projects. Each art form has a unique light to share and that light grows when creatives come together.
“I love that we can share the Light of Christ through our God-given talents,” Professor Hong-Park said. “When we unite our strengths, we create a powerful synergy and radiate an even greater light.”