Fourth year UW-Whitewater students Miranda Johnson, a horn player, and Lily Freeman, a trumpeter, performed individual solos and a duet for the public with piano accompaniment Sunday, Sept. 26 at 3p.m. at Light Recital Hall, leaving the audience in awe of the hope that they were able to restore for the future of music in a post-pandemic world. 

“I hope the audience leaves this performance feeling grateful to be back in the hall. I think both Lily and myself understand how important this performance is. For a lot of the audience, this could be their first live music experience since the pandemic hit us in 2019. I want to make the wait worth it,” said Johnson.

The recital was put together by both women in celebration of their love of music. It was important for them to have one last opportunity to perform for the community before their upcoming senior recital in the spring as they were unable to perform live for the last year and a half. Their passion for the performing arts went as far as to inspire Miranda Johnson to compose the piece entitled, “Midnight Madness” which was played as a duet between herself and Lily Freeman. Passion and emotion flowed out of the two as each movement of their pieces built up to a moment which seemed to set them free of the lost moments in their final years of school. Each piece washed away life’s daily struggles and delivered peace, as by the end of the recital, the audience was quick to meet them with endless cheers and praise.

The wait was certainly worth it, especially during Lily Freeman’s performance, “Sonata for Trumpet and Piano” by Eric Ewazen, with the accompaniment of Lannette Calhoun. Each dynamic, especially the intense crescendos and gentle descresendos, demanded attention, ultimately drawing the audience in deeper like a siren, silently but forcefully luring them in. Left completely mesmerized, the performance was one which people are likely to remember forever as Freeman held nothing back. 

“I personally love the 2nd movement of the piece I am playing called ‘Sonata for Trumpet and Piano’ by Eric Ewazen because it showcases how gentle yet expressive the trumpet sound can be. When I play this movement I channel all of the love I have for my family, friends, and significant other into my playing and try to relay that to my audience,” said Freeman.