Music students to be featured in sophomore recitals

Ali Zuercher, Erika Byler, Emma Roth

The last month of the academic year marks a flurry of sophomore student recitals for Hesston College music students. All recitals are free and open to the public.

Kicking off recital season is Ali Zuercher with a flute recital at noon, Saturday, April 16, at Hesston Mennonite Church on the Hesston College campus.

Zuercher (Phoenix, Ariz.) is a flute student of Kristin Shaffer. She has participated in Chamber Orchestra during both of her years at Hesston, and this spring is a member of the International Chorale that will travel to Europe for three weeks in May.

Erika Byler will be perform her recital as a music theatre cabaret at 7 p.m., Friday, April 22, in the Helmuth Studio Theatre in the Northlawn Center for Performing Arts Education.

Byler (Shipshewana, Ind.) has been a member of both casts and crew for Hesston College Theatre productions, including a member of the cast for the spring musical “Working.” She is also an alto in the Bel Canto Singers and a member of Chamber Orchestra, where she plays clarinet and trumpet. Byler studies voice with Holly Swartzendruber and her theatre director is Rachel Jantzi.

Emma Roth (Goshen, Ind.) will be featured in a voice recital at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 23, at Hesston Mennonite Church.

Roth is a soprano with the Bel Canto Singers and plays violin in the Chamber Orchestra. She has also performed lead roles in several Hesston College productions, including “Our Town,” “Little Women,” “These Shining Lives,” and “Working.” Roth is a voice student of Holly Swartzendruber.