Steinmetz Symposium is the only day of the school year that Union College gives students off from classes, and for good reason. This day is full of students showing off the research projects and performances that they have been working on throughout the year to the larger Union community. This year, Steinmetz featured over five hundred students from various departments. Besides the research presentations, another major event that took place was the Union College Music Department’s Steinmetz Chamber Music Showcase, consisting of multiple groups from different music ensembles on campus.
The weekend was packed with musical productions that exhibited the success of these students and the importance of music. In addition to the showcase, students passionate about music also performed at the Union Community Orchestra concert that same evening, and the Union Jazz Ensemble’s concert the following morning.
The Steinmetz Showcase concert recognized many aspects of music, allowing the students to perform whichever genre they were involved in and cared about. From jazz, musical theatre, and Baroque era pieces, to Rock and Roll, the hour-long showcase took its audience on a journey throughout what the music department at Union offers.
“It was phenomenal. I think everyone did very well, and we had a nice variety of pieces, from the digital pieces to even a dance performance,” said Sam Granger ’26, the drummer of ‘Faggle of Cunks’. “Overall, I think it went really great, and I’m glad everyone got to show off their work.”
Funding for music departments is seldom comparable to that for the sciences, but feeding this passion is just as necessary for the well-being of students. Concerts like this are key to highlighting the significance of the arts. Strahlia Durr, the lead singer of Devi & the Tritones, shared her thoughts just after her performance.
“I think art is a dying subject in the age of AI, and any production of it from students or likewise is very important,” said Durr. “It shows what it means to be human because the definition of being a human is the ability to create.”
There are still some events happening before the end of the school year, such as Zakuro-Daiko’s concerts on May 16 and 17, and the Early Music Ensemble on May 24th. Make sure you attend these events and support these talented students!
