SECOND STAGE: Chenxuan Zhu, soprano | Echoes of Love | Graduating Student Project

This recital explores the many faces of love through songs and arias from different languages, styles, and time periods. Although the repertoire moves across Italian, German, Chinese, English, and French traditions, the emotional thread remains the same: love as tenderness, longing, devotion, memory, grief, and hope.

The first part of the program begins with Italian works that present love in direct and expressive ways. In songs such as Caro mio ben, Vergin, tutto amor, and O del mio dolce ardor, love appears as affection, purity, and sincere admiration. Panis angelicus adds a sacred dimension, suggesting that love can also be spiritual and transcendent. The operatic arias deepen these emotions: in Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga, sorrow and the desire for freedom are closely intertwined, while Gluck’s Che farò senza Euridice reveals love through loss. Mozart’s Vado, ma dove? captures emotional uncertainty and inner confusion, showing love at its most vulnerable.

The German Lieder that follow turn inward. Schubert’s songs move between grace, inspiration, and gratitude, while the works of Robert and Clara Schumann present love in a more intimate and reflective voice. In these songs, love is no longer only declared outwardly; it is remembered, contemplated, and deeply felt within the self.

The Chinese art songs continue this inward lyricism in a different cultural language. 春思曲 and 岁月悠悠 both carry a sense of distance and emotional resonance, where love is shaped by memory, time, and poetic reflection. The final group of English and French songs closes the recital with warmth and delicacy. From the simplicity of Beautiful Dreamer to the elegance of Fauré, Debussy, and Tosti, these works offer love as dream, beauty, and gentle longing.

Taken together, these pieces suggest that while languages and musical styles may differ, the human experience of love remains deeply connected. This program is an invitation to hear how love can be sung in many tongues, yet still speak to the same heart.

Chenxuan Zhu is a soprano known for her expressive storytelling and her dedication to using music as a form of emotional connection and healing. Originally from China and now based in Boston, she is pursuing her Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at Longy School of Music of Bard College. Her recent work highlights a growing passion for bridging artistry and empathy, drawing inspiration from diverse operatic and art song traditions. She has performed in recitals, ensemble projects, and collaborative concerts, continually exploring ways to bring warmth, clarity, and sincerity to every performance.