Willimantic, Conn. – The Performing Arts Department at Eastern Connecticut State University held a faculty recital with music faculty members Emily Riggs and David Ballena on March 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Instructional Center Concert Hall.
Riggs, soprano, and Bellena, piano, performed with guest cellist Marlene Bellena, in a recital of music from the Romantic Period. The repertoire included Cesar Franck’s “Sonata in A major” for cello and piano, and songs by Schubert, Wolf, Mendelssohn and Brahms.
“As an artist, every opportunity to perform is something to be grateful for. This particular event, being one of the first in the new hall and an opportunity to collaborate with my husband and sister-in-law, was a particularly special one,” said Riggs. “In addition, the repertoire chosen for the recital took both the performers and audience members on a journey through the development of the Romantic period composition. This is music that all three of us are passionate about and have studied in great detail. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to share this passion with our students and others in attendance.”
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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut’s public liberal arts university, serving more than 5,300 students annually at its Willimantic Campus and satellite locations. In addition from 161 on Connecticut’s 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 25 other states and 18 other countries. A residential campus offering 38 majors and 55 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked in the top 30 public universities in the North Region, by U.S. News and World Report in its 2015 Best College ratings, Eastern has also been awarded “Green Campus” status by the U.S. Green Building Council five years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.