On a rainy Friday in March, I took the Route 81 TCAT from North Campus to Bailey Hall to watch renowned pianist Sir Stephen Hough perform as part of the Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series (previously named the Cornell Concert Series). Despite the gloomy weather, I was looking forward to his performance; as someone who grew up playing piano myself, classical music has always been a part of my life and seeing it performed live is an unparalleled experience.
The Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series is an annual series of musical performances hosted at Cornell, spotlighting a diverse range of musicians. The show on April 11, for instance, will feature flamenco ensemble Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana. This was my first time attending an installment of the Concert Series, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Would it be packed? What would the demographic of attendees look like — more undergraduate or graduate students? Or, would the majority be professors?
Upon entering the auditorium and scanning my ticket, I was given a program and ushered to my seat. Although I had come alone, I was pleasantly greeted by the sight of people sitting with friends and family. There were elderly couples, parents with young children and Cornell students chatting with friends alike. Many expressed sentiments of excitement for the concert — not just for the performer, but because they were among like-minded individuals, bonded by their appreciation of live music.
Emily Shen ’26 reflected on the social aspect of the experience, stating, “It hits different when you’re surrounded by people who are also very passionate about feeling the music. When you’re all together, it’s a shared experience.” Having attended numerous installments, Shen is a frequent audience member of the Concert Series; she often attends alone, but asserts that her lack of company doesn’t detract from her enjoyment at all.
During the concert, I was delighted by the varying pieces of music in Sir Stephen Hough’s repertoire, and I clearly was not the only one. Around me, I witnessed people swaying to the dynamic of the performance, teetering closer to the edge of their seats during louder, more loaded moments and looking on in awe during more technically challenging parts. I felt that as an audience, we became one whole.
A particularly memorable moment occurred during the encore, when Hough played a fun piano arrangement of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins. It was meaningful enough to witness a beautiful rendition of a song from my childhood live, but it was so much more meaningful to be surrounded by people who shared that same sentiment. It certainly helped that Hough himself was a charming performer, connecting the audience even more through comedic timing and expressions.
In a world where streaming music is the norm, some may find it difficult to imagine why students would take the time out of their Friday evenings to watch a classical music performance — or any live performance, for that matter. But being surrounded by a community, listening to the pulse of a song and watching the soul of a performer jump out is something that you can’t get alone in your room with headphones on.
I also appreciate the accessibility of the concert series on a campus that can otherwise feel huge and isolating. Regarding the student discount offered on tickets, Vicky Nie ’27 commented: “In my city, tickets can go for $100 or more, so when I see that tickets for events like these are only $17, I’m way more willing to go.”
Such accessibility, particularly for diverse cultural performances, is especially important for students who don’t have the opportunity to go to them otherwise. Melinda Lin ’27, a student from Portland, Oregon, stated that she wasn’t often able to participate in the music scene in her area due to travel times and distance. Lin said that the walkability of Cornell’s campus makes it easy to attend events: “Instead of driving out, I can just walk 10 minutes and go to any concert I want.”
Whether it’s a piano concert, a dance performance or an orchestra ensemble, the importance of Cornell hosting live performances is clear. Events like the Dallas Morse Coors Concert Series offer students the opportunity to feel connected to their campus, and the deeply unifying feeling of being part of a collective whole. When you’re in the crowd, it doesn’t matter if you’re a musician yourself, an engineer or a business student; what matters is that you’ve chosen to spend your Friday evening with every other audience member. For Cornellians, the art of going to see live music isn’t dying anytime soon.
Krystal Kymn is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at klk239@cornell.edu.
