Salina Duclos will perform a Senior Vocal Recital, Sunday, April 28, at 4 p.m. in Wynne Chapel. The events are free and open to the public.
Her program will include numbers by classics composers Bellini, Puccini, Barber, and Mozart, as well as “Too Many Mornings” from Follies by Sondheim and “Someone Like You” from Jekyll and Hyde by Bricusse.A soprano, Duclos is a four-year member of the Austin College A Cappella Choir. She also has sung with the College’s vocal jazz ensemble, The Consort, for four years and the vocal madrigal ensemble, Camerata, for two years. She has been active in school choirs since the eighth grade and served as choir president in high school.
She is completing a major in English and minors in music and Spanish. Upon graduating in May, Duclos will continue studies with the Austin Teacher Program with plans to graduate in May 2020 with a Master of Arts in Teaching for Grade 7-12 English, Language Arts, and Reading. “Teaching and singing are both passions of mine but teaching is my chosen career path,” she said.
Duclos said that she was concerned as a freshman that since she wasn’t a music major, she might not be able to perform as well as a major, but she has left those fears behind her. “Being in three vocal ensembles, an officer multiple times in the music fraternity, and serving as assistant vocal music director in our production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee last semester has shown me that I can be as fully involved as I want to be, and the faculty and staff at Austin College will support me throughout.”
Chandler Morris of Fort Worth, Texas, will present a recital Sunday at 1 p.m.
Earlier this month, Cecilia Yip of Colleyville, Texas, presented a vocal recital also, including work by composers W.A. Mozart, Henri Duparc, Johannes Brahms, Richard Strauss, and Aaron Copland.
Cecilia Yip
A mezzo-soprano, Yip performs with the Austin College A Cappella Choir and Consort, having participated in each for three years. Planning to attend medical school upon graduating from Austin College, she is completing a major in biology and a minor in East Asian studies.
Yip also has played piano since the age of 5. “My father was a self-taught musician and opera singer and that has influenced my passion for music and for singing,” she said. She has participated in multiple solo piano competitions in Fort Worth and was a three-year Texas All-State Choir member in high school.
In addition to singing, she also serves as the assistant director of the A Capella Choir. “I have grown so much as a musician during my time at Austin College, Yip said. “Serving as assistant director of the choir has taught me many important aspects of leadership and has allowed me to become a better musician, while doing something that I am passionate about as a hobby,” she said. “I have learned conducting skills, leadership tactics, and to interact with my peers on a different level, even though I am not taking any music classes. I feel very blessed to have these opportunities offered to me.”
Other individual recitalists this spring were Adam Lehman of Iowa Park, Texas; Truman Dowdy of Magnolia, Texas; and Grace Harrison of Farmersville, Texas.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities.One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with 46 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and more than 100 expert faculty members allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. This year, the campus recognizes 100 years of co-education and has had several opportunities to recognize the history of women and accomplishments of current alumnae. Austin College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.