Syracuse Setnor Student Recital Series: Pianist Brianna Cofield
By Tessa Maddaloni
Photos courtesy Brianna Cofield
Like many, Brianna Cofield fixated on musicians like Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys when she was young. These idols became muses to her future career, as Cofield has played the piano proficiently since she was four years old. Her most recent performance was her Senior Piano Recital on Sunday, March 27th with the Setnor Student Recital Series.
The Long Island native is a senior studying Sound Recording Technology with a performance honors track at SU. Her studies include working with microphone technology, mixing songs, using different types of musical software, and performing as well.
Cofield focuses on two things in her performance: First, to prove that classical music can be more than slow melodies and old composers, and second, that women of color have a place in this industry, or any industry they desire. To accomplish her first task, she filled the first half of her performance with upbeat and cheery pieces, such as “Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9 K. 271 I. Allegro” and Beethoven’s “Sonata in C Major Op. 2 No. 3.” These both defy the stigma around “traditional classical music” being monotonous and uninteresting, as they are filled with fast and cheery melodies and beautiful playing by Cofield.
“There are not many of us in this industry,” said Cofield. “I try to show people that it's possible to be a woman of color in the music industry.”
After a brief intermission, the recital was filled with pieces written by women of color. Nora Holt’s “Negro Dance,” is followed by Betty Jackson King’s “Spring Intermezzo.” Both are short pieces that match the light and airy vibe of the traditional Mozart and Beethoven tunes, rounding out the performance. Cofield ended her program with Maurice Ravel’s uplifting and bright, though lengthy, “Sonatine.”
Cofield said a highlight of her career was her sophomore year, where she performed as a solo pianist for three choirs at a Setnor recital. At that same show, she performed with a guest conductor from the American Spiritual Ensemble, a famous professional classical singing ensemble. These student recitals happen multiple times a week, and involve both juniors and seniors. Setnor has been striving to bring attention to these recitals through virtual links and social media. While overseen by faculty, the students have a large part in running the recitals. They set up and clean up, and are also required to attend a certain number of concerts each year as part of their major.
But with her time at Syracuse coming to an end this spring, Cofield has no plans to give up performing. While her major is sound recording technology, her aspirations include playing classical or jazz piano for other artists. Her idols instilled a hard working mindset, a sense of purpose, and above all, a love of music in her. And Cofield hopes to one day be an inspiration to future pianists, as Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys were for her.
