LAMC musical duo debuts album

IU’s Latin American Music Center offers a contest that presents much more than friendly rivalry.  

Winners of the Latin American Music Recording Competition are awarded an official slot in the Jacobs School of Music calendar, as well as an opportunity to record a professionally edited, fully produced CD. Jacobs associate instructor Jooeun Pak and her musical partner, recent graduate Colin Sorgi, are the victors of the 2011 LAMC Recording Competition for their multiple piano and violin ensembles.

“The competition was fun, not too difficult for us because Colin and I enjoy playing with each other,” Pak wrote in an email. “We possess expertise in contemporary music, so we had this opportunity to present our ultimate strengths as a piano-violin duo.”
While the competition was enjoyable for Pak, she admitted playing the piano has always been a part of her life, but that it has not always been the most effortless endeavor.

“Growing up, my mother was a piano teacher, so the progression of becoming a pianist was natural in my case. I was exposed to a musical environment, but, of course, I had to practice a lot,” Pak wrote.

Now that the practice has paid off, Pak and Sorgi have been reaping the benefits of their hard work. The recording process is complete, and the CD, “Eco de Violin” — a collection of new Latin American music for violin with piano and electronics — was recently released at an IU conference. It will soon be available from mainstream music venues such as iTunes. Lately, they have played concerts at the Chicago Cultural Center and IU’s Lily Library.

Pak said she could not choose a favorite song among the variety of contemporary pieces on the CD.

“I like all of them,” she said.

As far as how the pianist ranks this accomplishment, she wrote, “I consider this to be a starting point toward my greatest achievement. My experience performing with Colin has been extremely rewarding and exciting. I look forward to having more plans in the future, starting with this CD release.”

— Anne Lorenzano