Thanks to this Arts in NYC Seminar class, I have been exposed to what I can accurately say is one of my favorite pieces for violin ever: after an exclusive sneak peek, our class saw Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto performed by the Queens College Orchestra, conducted by Maurice Peress, featuring Monica Martin on the violin.

After her preview performance I was very eager to hear the piece in its entirety; I purposely held out listening to it on my own beforehand so I could be completely surprised by the parts I had not seen. Although I am not a violinist, Monica Martin was still an inspiration to watch. She arrived onstage in a hugely ornate black sleeveless dress that billowed out in rich ruffles at the bottom; even professionals I’ve seen at Carnegie Hall weren’t dressed to the nines as much as she was. From the moment she entered the stage, she completely took over the space. I can still say one of my favorite moments was right before she was about to play, when she placed her violin on her shoulder, holding it in place with her chin as she readied her bow. As she played the first note, one could tell that she was about to delve into a deep musical tunnel of sorts— and not emerge until she reached the other side.

The entire concerto was incredibly long, but never once boring. The concerto had three movements that allowed Ms. Martin to demonstrate fierce strikes on the violin backed by an equally energetic orchestra to heartwrenchingly tender solo cadenzas. I wished I had a camera so I could capture her fierce facial expressions during breaks in her playing, or the way the lights caught her face as she leaned into her instrument, with her eyes almost always closed, extremely focused.

It occurred to me then that a forty-minute violin concerto for a violinist carries just as much weight and responsibility, as, say, a three-hour opera for a singer. I always marvel at how opera stars and Broadway leads manage to memorize all their stage directions and lines, and with this concerto it was no exception. I left the concert feeling inspired to not only practice my own instruments and skills more, but also to have more confidence in my ability to digest and perform large volumes of music at a time. If she can do it and is only a couple of years older than me, then I eventually can do it too— perhaps I already can and don’t realize it!