SFCM students stepped into the professional spotlight this January, performing side-by-side with violinist Simone Porter and the New Century Chamber Orchestra (NCCO) in an ambitious program spanning centuries of music.

Ten students performed with Porter and the NCCO for Enlighten Me, a "musical tour of illumination"  that grouped works inspired by everything from the sunrise to divine wisdom. The program was performed twice: First at Stanford University's Bing Concert Hall, presented by Stanford Live, and then again at SFCM.

Simone Porter rehearses with the New Century Chamber Orchestra and SFCM students.

"Working with Simone Porter and the NCCO has been one of the highlights of my career at SFCM so far," Swansea Siu, a violinist studying with Simon James said. "The collaborative energy of the orchestra made every rehearsal feel electric."

"I loved playing with such a dedicated chamber orchestra," violinist Alexi Zaretsky (also working with James), said. "The players are fantastic and collaborate musically in a manner really unique to chamber music."

Simone Porter and Alex Zaretsky (middle).

Porter, an Opus 3 Artist, came to SFCM as part of a Winter Term residency in which she worked directly with students. "These students  are already consummate professionals. They're ready to meet the world and whatever they choose to do, they're entering exactly right and prepared," Porter said. "Everyone came into it with exactly the right attitude and it turned into something that's an absolutely gorgeous piece of music."

First acquired in 2020, Opus 3 Artists is part of SFCM's alliance of industry-leading companies that benefit the student experience. Askonas Holt and Pentatone Records fill out the unique collaboration. "This is not something I do very often," Porter said. "I do a lot of solo work and chamber music work, but this was a large chamber group. However, it had a great energy: accommodating and incredibly friendly from the beginning, which I am very grateful for."

After several rehearsals and workshops at SFCM, the ensemble performed at Stanford Live January 23 featuring works from the 12th to the 21st centuries by composers like  J.S. Bach, Hildegard Von Bingen, and Andrew Norman, among others. "The students were great to work with," Porter said. "They were incredibly receptive but also already really prepared. They held their own so well in the Andrew Norman piece, which kind of looks like code when you look at the score for the first time!"

Evan Kahn with the New Century Chamber Orchestra at SFCM.

"You could see the students learning about high-level chamber music-making in real time," Evan Kahn, the principal cellist of the NCCO (and 2018 SFCM graduate), said. "They really brought it during the performances! Griffin Seuter sounded lovely in her solos during Andrew Norman's 'Sabina!'"

A second performance followed January 24 in SFCM's Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall. "It was a really inspiring experience," Rachel Green, a violinist working with Chen Zhao said. "I learned so much by getting to work closely with professionals who are doing what I hope to do someday."

Siu's experience carried a different weight, as she had seen Porter perform years ago. "I was immediately inspired by the tenacity of her artistry. Getting to work with Simone and the NCCO felt surreal, like a full circle moment," Siu said.

"I was so happy to be part of this project. It was a highlight of my season," Porter said of the experience. "SFCM is gorgeous. I was really excited to play in Hume. I had only seen pictures of it before. The facilities here are amazing; it's kind of ridiculous how nice it is."

Simone Porter with the NCCO at SFCM.

As far as advice for young musicians? Porter's boils down to the idea that a career in music is a climb, but a great one. "You get to be a lifelong learner," she added. "This pursuit that we are involved in—musical nirvana or musical perfection—none of it really exists. It's only an idea, but having a purpose and pursuit that we love and put effort into every single day is incredible."

"Playing music is really a beautiful thing and it's an antidote to the whiplash of modern life," she continued. "To have something where there are no shortcuts, like playing the violin, is really hard—it's not something ChatGPT can do. AI could never! It can try and copy you, but it can't do what you can do in concert," she added.

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