Junior Katie Hielkema will bring 11 years of flute experience and an entire year of preparation to her flute recital on Sunday, March 28, at 3 p.m. in Christ Chapel.
“I started working on the music last spring. During this school year, I have spent many hours working on learning and interpreting the music,” Hielkema said. “Having to learn 50 minutes of music is a lot of work. It was definitely a challenge, and I’ve seen a lot of growth this semester.”
Although Hielkema is running out of time for practicing as her recital draws near, she is mainly looking forward to her public performance.
“There are always nerves when playing in front of people, but I am mainly excited to perform and share my music with people,” Hielkema said.
The Columbus, Ohio, native will be assisted by Lori Vande Brake, staff accompanist, on the piano; Rebecca Alsum, resident director of Stegenga Hall, on the cello; and Gregg Hooyer, a Sioux Center resident, on the guitar. A variety of pieces will be performed, including classical, Baroque and 20th century music. Hielkema will play works by J.S. Bach, Christoph Gluck, Jacques Ibert and Sergei Prokofiev.
“My flute teacher, Sue De Haan, and I picked out my music last school year. We picked music that would be a challenge and help me grow as a flute player,” Hielkema said. “Also, I wanted to play music that is in different styles than I have played before so that I could expand my repertoire of music.”
Hielkema is studying secondary music education and flute performance at Northwestern and is a member of the Symphonic Band.
