First-year music students rarely get to solo with a chamber orchestra. But at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, it happens every year for the string students. On Friday, Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m., the annual Vivaldi concert will feature baroque masterworks. Faculty and students will both be on the stage, and first-years will be the soloists.
“This is one of our proud traditions at the school of music,” said violin professor Movses Pogossian. “The concert will feature a baroque music lineup, including the Four Seasons as well as other solo pieces written by Vivaldi. And it will be another talented group of students performing on stage with us this year.”
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is one of the most recognizable musical compositions in the world. It is performed roundly, and iconic enough that the indie-band Weezer released a quartet of albums only a few years ago that pays homage to Vivaldi’s masterpiece. Chances are you have heard the famous melodies from the Four Seasons multiple times. But UCLA’s annual Vivaldi concert is one of a kind. No other school of music in the country gives its first-year students this kind of performance space, coupled with the opportunity to perform with and be accompanied by faculty. It is a unique opportunity for students to develop not just their performance chops, but also their artistic voices.
Violinist Andrew Dela Peña, a first-year who will perform the second and third movements of Spring from Four Seasons, acknowledged the intense preparation required for the performance, as well as the jitters that come with performing alongside world-renowned faculty. “But I do recognize that I’m also lucky to be playing with talented first-years as well,” siad Dela Peña. “That camaraderie is reassuring.”
First-year cellist Kayson Chen had heard about the annual Vivaldi concert before its official announcement. “The other cellists in my section mentioned that it was one of the late Antonio Lysy’s great traditions,” said Chen, referring to the legendary cello professor who taught for twenty years in The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and passed away in 2024.
Past students remember fondly the experience of performing with their world-class instructors and what it did for their artistic development. Christian Gonzales (class of 2022) performed the solo violin in “Winter,” a piece which he recalled was picked by his violin professor because it matched his personality.
“There’s an inner electricity when you perform with professionals,” said Gonzales, recalling his experience as a first-year student performing at the Vivaldi concert. “It gives you a greater self-awareness.” Gonzales’s artistic trajectory has certainly reflected this growth. Gonzales, who won the Atwater Kent String Concerto Competition in 2022, completed a master’s at the Juilliard School in 2024.
The annual Vivaldi concert has been a longstanding tradition at UCLA. The pandemic interrupted this tradition in 2021, as it did most live music events. The concert has traditionally been performed in the rotunda of Powell Library, giving a charming baroque setting for baroque music. Construction at Powell has moved the concert to Schoenberg Hall, which has attracted a significant audience. This year, ninety students from Mountain View Elementary will attend and experience the thrill of live music.
The concert is also a Music for Food concert. This performance is held in support of the food services of Ketchum Downtown YMCA. This musician-led initiative harmonizes the power of the arts with the critical mission of combating hunger, underscoring our commitment to social responsibility and community engagement.
“Live music is nourishment,” said violin professor Movses Pogossian, who is also the head of the Los Angeles chapter of Music for Food. “It’s important to celebrate our excellent first-year students. And we are also pleased to connect this concert to the great cause of bringing food and nourishment to the community.”