The McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics and the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions presents a COVID Memorial Recital with musical performances from the McGovern community, Feb. 10.
The recital was organized by Timothy George, MS4, and will honor the lives lost and sacrifices made, as well as the ongoing challenges surrounding COVID-19. George will play alongside classmates Grace Kuang, MS3; and Jeff Jin, MS4; as well as Ryan Huebinger, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine.
“It has been a longtime goal of mine to give a recital at school before graduating,” George said. “About a year ago, I thought about putting on a ‘post-COVID’ recital after interview season, but in retrospect this was a bit naïve considering the course the pandemic has taken. I wanted the recital to honor the lives lost and sacrifices made by so many during the pandemic. Therefore, I change it to a COVID Memorial recital.”
The COVID Memorial Recital will be held at noon in a hybrid format with a limited-attendance live performance in the Fifth Floor Gallery and a webcast available through Webex. The live performance is limited to 50 attendees and a lunch will be provided following the recital. Works from Chopin, Chaminade, and Rachmaninoff will be featured during the recital.
“My program takes the audience through a whirlwind of emotions in an attempt to reflect our experience traversing through the pandemic,” George said. “The first piece is a battle between tranquility and chaos, with chaos succeeding in the end. The second is a journey towards triumph, with a touch of reminiscence. The final piece is an elegy filled with somber passion, ending in a funeral march.
“It is important to have this recital for our McGovern community, because it gives people a chance to pause and reflect on all that we have endured: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is also a special opportunity for us musicians in medicine to share our craft with our colleagues.”