You may recognize Elizabeth Bennett (also known as Liz) as a resident assistant at UT Martin; however, she is a stellar vocal performer by night.
On the first evening of November, Bennett’s friends and family gather in the Blankenship Recital Hall to hear the showcase of her vocal abilities.
Bennett, accompanied by Dr. Chan Mi Jean on piano, began the recital with a melody from Georges Bizet’s works (Chanson d’avril and Ouvre ton coeur). The soprano sang each piece beautifully and her voice lit up the entire room.
Then, she performed works by various composers, including Was weight du, Blümlein, An einem lichten Morgen by Clara Schumann and Das Veilchen by W.A. Mozart. Schumann is a German composer who was popular in the Romantic Era, while Mozart is an Austrian composer.
A swift intermission happened, and then Bennett returned to the stage to perform pieces from Gitanjali: When I Bring to You Colour’d Toys, On the Day When Death Will Knock at Thy Door and The Sleep that Flits on Baby’s Eyes by John Alden Carpenter.
She ended the recital with Si, mi chiamano Mimi from La Bohème, by Giacomo Puccini, which was well-received by the audience.
Bennett’s senior recital was filled with versatility. She performed works from different languages by various composers. Her melodic voice embodies the essence of elegance and grace. The audience was mesmerized by her performance. She bowed and thanked everyone for coming to support her. After she graduates, Bennett hopes to teach choir with aspirations of directing musicals and becoming involved with theatre.
The advice she would give students preparing for their senior recital would be, “Trust yourself! You’ve been working and refining your craft for four years now. If you don’t believe in yourself then you won’t have the confidence to succeed!”
Bennett’s senior recital was presented in partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Music Education, Vocal/General K-12 Licensure degree at UT Martin. She is a student of Roberto Mancusi, a professor of Music.
