VCU news

By Elinor Frisa

On an evening in early December, the James W. Black Music Center at VCU was aglow with holiday spirit. Literally aglow — the stage had been lit with 800 battery-operated candles.

In the flickering candlelight, four student musicians took their seats on stage and played an all-strings rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.” But no one sat in the audience: The performance was filmed as part of this year’s Virginia Commonwealth University holiday video, along with a seasonal greeting from President Michael Rao, Ph.D.

The four musicians are part of the Vela String Quartet, coached by Associate Professor of Music Susanna Klein. She has been working with the group all semester as part of the Department of Music’s String Chamber Music class, and on Monday after fall break in November, Klein shared the performance opportunity with the students. In a matter of just a few days, the quartet had learned the song, which Klein and her students adapted for string quartet.

“The tricky part was finding a holiday-themed musical selection that is in the public domain,” she said. “I took a 19th-century organ arrangement of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and kind of doctored it up a little bit because that was publicly available.”

The gentle song, so often associated with endings and new beginnings, aligned seamlessly with the end-of-year message Rao wanted to convey to the VCU community. And the four student musicians struck just the right tone.

Meet the musicians

Arianna Greggs

Instrument: Violin

Major: Music with a concentration in performance/strings

Year: Class of 2025

About Arianna: I am from Norfolk, Virginia, and I actually started on viola in sixth grade (2014) and switched to violin in ninth grade (2017). My favorite part of chamber music is experiencing those lightbulb moments, where everything that was once challenging suddenly falls into place. My dream job is to join a professional symphony orchestra and have my own private violin studio for young and adult learners. Outside of music, I love spending time with my best friend, Kevin, exploring museums and trying new restaurants around the Richmond area.

Favorite holiday music: “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson, because her energy and vocal style puts me in the perfect mood for the holiday season!

Rachel Dale

Instrument: Violin

Major: Music with a concentration in education/strings

Year: Class of 2024

About Rachel: I’m from Woodbridge, Virginia, and I started playing when I was 9 (but I’ve been involved with music my whole life). I love chamber music because of the connection I have with my chamber mates. There’s nothing more special than feeling like I’m really connecting with another human being, which is what is so special about chamber music. My dream is to be a teacher and performer. Outside of music, I love watching movies and hanging out with my cat.

Favorite holiday music: My favorite holiday song is “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” because it reminds me of spending time with my siblings during the holiday season!

Erick Dearhart

Instrument: Viola

Major: Music with a concentration in performance/strings

Year: Class of 2026

About Erick: I was born in Richmond. I started playing viola when I started middle school as a second instrument – I originally started playing piano when I was 6 years old. In chamber music, I love how much more emotion you can portray with a much smaller group.

Favorite holiday music: “Carol of the Bells” is my favorite because the stacking of harmonies on top of each other sounds heavenly.

Kevin Nguyen

Instrument: Cello

Major: Music with a concentration in performance/strings

Year: Class of 2026

About Kevin: I was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and at age 10, I discovered my passion for the cello. Chamber music is really special to me because it allows me to express myself collaboratively with others. I dream of becoming a section cellist in a symphony orchestra or being in a string quartet so I can travel the world, perform and maybe even compete. My parents, Oanh Le and Long Nguyen, have been incredibly supportive, and I’m so grateful for them. In my free time, I love hanging out with family and friends, especially my bestie, Arianna Greggs. Plus, exploring new foods and discovering hidden gems in Richmond is always a blast!

Favorite holiday music: My favorite holiday music is “Feliz Navidad” because it holds special memories of time spent with my dad — it’s his favorite song!

Candles, camera, action

Once the candles were arranged to the producer’s liking and the instruments had been tuned, the quartet picked up their bows and played “Auld Lang Syne.” They performed it flawlessly on the first take but repeated the song a few times so there was plenty of footage to work with. Then it was time to break down the set, and time for the students to return to studying for finals and preparing for numerous holiday concerts. But they left something behind: a simple gift of music for all to enjoy.