From Bach to Sinatra: Joonho Jo

The spotlight finds its way to senior Joonho Jo as he takes his final bow stroke on stage. Jo looks up from the cello to find a captivated audience on their feet, a raucous standing ovation to conclude his senior recital in the Bowld.

Yet, the audience didn’t see the countless hours spent in a practice room, where Jo found himself meticulously preparing since last spring to perfect the culmination of his experience with music at Exeter.

In a sense, the preparation was similar to developing in a sport. “I think the hardest part of music is the phrasing of each piece and each measure. Although technique is difficult, such as bow pressure, contact point, speed and articulation, it takes much more time to truly emotionally understand the phrases, and even more time to apply it to performance,” Jo said. Jo believes that the smallest components of playing the cello, often deemed as irrelevant to the average eye, are fundamental to the success of a musician and demand a slow pace to get down properly. The process proved to be both long and strenuous for Jo as he was responsible for coordinating rehersals with each featured musicians. Additionally, Jo was required to transpose pieces such as “Say Something” and “Fly Me To the Moon” by ear as the contemporary songs didn’t have sheet music or arrangements for the cello, piano and saxophone. This came with the help of lower Dylan Yin, in which the two focused on fitting a preferred style for the concert through the music.

“I was really impressed. He was always working hard and you could just tell by the way he played and the way he handled it that he cared about the performance a lot.”

After four years of partaking in the Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music and other music groups, I felt it was a fantastic way to share what I’ve learned and what I’ve been given during my time here,” Jo said.

In terms of what Jo has learned throughout his time here, he reiterated that the course was more than just learning to play Bach or Saint-Saëns, but also how to prepare for a concert. He soon learned that there are many factors one has to take into account for a well functioning recital. Jo spent time finalizing programs, entrances and orders the morning of.

Jo began playing music in second grade, picking up the cello out of inspiration stemming from his older brother. He took great joy at a young age in seeing the results of hard work and the things that he could achieve. But it was in seventh grade at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege that Jo seriously started practicing. That regimented practice has persisted ever since. Prep Jinwoo Kang who performed on the drums alongside Jo said, “I was really impressed. He was always working hard and you could just tell by the way he played and the way he handled it that he cared about the performance a lot.”

Lower Dylan Yin, who played on the saxophone, reciprocated similar sentiments, saying, “I never really see Joonho slacking off and I feel like that really helped him make his concert so great and I was really happy to be a part of that.” Yin worked with Jo throughout the term in music sports, in which he noted that Jo is very efficient with his time. Whether that entails talking with teachers or scheduling practice times to work together, Jo was always dedicated to giving his best.

Yin went on to say, “He’s just been a big role model for me, but in terms of music he’s shown me what hard work can do for a person. He’s demonstrated what effects practicing every day and just keeping a dedication and passion for something that you love to do can have.” He expressed that Jo sincerely embodied how great you can make something when you work hard because you love it so much.

In pursuit of testing something he had not done much of before, Jo looked to incorporate contemporary pieces with the cello as a testament to how classical instruments can have an impact on popular culture. “I wanted to emphasize through this concert that the cello could sing Bach’s Suites, and in the next piece, play Sinatra’s jazz,” he said.

On the cusp of the close of his musical career at Exeter, Jo left us with this final note. He said, “I want to thank everyone who made this recital happen. I will treasure this recital forever and remember how much love and support I received from my peers, teachers and friends.”