Throughout November 11-12, students filled the halls of Jenson Noble Hall of Music for the 65th annual Dorian Keyboard Festival.
The Dorian Keyboard Festival invited students from grades 5-12 to participate in a day of events, including lessons and performances centered around various keyboard instruments. Associate Director of Music Marketing and Coordinator of Dorian Ella Sneltjes (‘22) invited teachers from high schools across the Midwest to send their students to participate.
“The main focus is just to get students to campus and make music,” Sneltjes said “It’s an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ sort of ordeal. Teachers and students alike are always excited to talk to these prospective students, and the prospective [students] are just as excited to be here. We always have at least a few teachers that email us and ask us if they can send one more student that really wants to go.”
Piano, organ and keyboard players took lessons from Luther instructors in an environment very similar to classes Luther students take on a daily basis. The lessons also included masterclasses about the harpsichord and organ in an effort to allow prospective students and current students to discover and expand their instrumental skills.
One of the masterclasses came from featured artist Christina Dahl, who is currently a Professor of Piano and Chair of the Department of Music at Stoney Brook University in New York. Dahl hosted three total lessons, two on the 11 and on the 12 to end the festival. The event was open to the public and to current Luther students free of charge. Dahl also hosted a performance towards the end of the day. The guest artist recital was held in the Noble Recital Hall (NRH), and was the penultimate performance of the day.
The final performance was the Student Honors Recital, where a group of selected students performed. In total there were two separate performances, increasing the amount of student performances available. The students for these performances were selected by the various teachers and instructors that had already been teaching the students throughout the day. The performance is an opportunity to showcase what the students have been working on, students like Ellen Eichstedt, a sophomore at Waukegan West High School.
“I’ve been playing piano since I was seven,” Eichstedt said “Dorian is something I do every year to learn a little more and I really enjoy the opportunity. Even if I don’t stick with music in the future, I appreciate being here and getting to perform.”
The next Dorian event is the Vocal Festival taking place on January 7 and 8. There is more information available on the Luther College Music website, including how to sign up to host Dorian attendees for the Vocal Festival.
