Some of the most remarkable moments at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music unfold quietly in rehearsal rooms, practice studios and recital halls where students spend years shaping their artistry. This spring, two orchestral concerts offer the Houston community a chance to hear that work come fully to life.
Across two performances one week apart, the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra will spotlight student achievement at its highest level. The concerts feature winners of the school’s prestigious concerto competition alongside graduate conducting students and new works by recent composition alumni. For audiences, the evenings provide a rare opportunity to experience rising artists performing some of the most demanding repertoire written for their instruments.
At the center of the March 27 program is pianist Szuyu Su, a third-year doctoral candidate studying with Jon Kimura Parker, professor of piano and the Walter Kris Hubert Chair of Keyboards. Su will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
“This piece is known to pianists as a very technically demanding piece that requires a lot of stamina,” Su said.
The concerto has been a long journey rather than a single performance milestone. Su began studying it nearly two years ago while preparing for the Shepherd School Concerto Competition. The concerto’s sweeping melodies and dense writing create a formidable dialogue between piano and orchestra. For performers, the experience can feel almost athletic.
“Playing this piece is very satisfying,” Su said. “There are lots of big chords and fast passages and a lot of times both at the same time.”
The March 27 concert will also include the world premiere of “Olvidar” by 2025 Shepherd School composition graduate Jiaying Li, conducted by graduate orchestral conducting student Kyle Haake.
The orchestra returns to Stude Concert Hall April 4 for another student-centered evening. This program features 2025 graduate and cellist Sebastian Berofsky, another concerto competition winner, performing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto. Berofsky studied with Desmond Hoebig, now professor emeritus of cello.
The program will also premiere “Shattered Sky/Remaining Land,” a new orchestral work by 2025 graduate Sing-Yat Chen, conducted by graduate conducting student Ana Spasovska.
Both concerts will be led by Miguel Harth-Bedoya, distinguished resident director of orchestras at the Shepherd School, with Spasovska and Haake serving as assistant conductors.
While the spotlight concerts offer a particularly visible celebration of student excellence, they are also part of a larger musical life at the Shepherd School. Student recitals take place almost daily throughout the academic year and are regularly livestreamed, offering audiences near and far a window into the school’s extraordinary community of performers. View the Shepherd School events calendar for more information.