Every year, the Rochester (NY) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated recognizes the outstanding musical and academic achievements of an African-American student by presenting the Links Scholarship. Included with this honor is the opportunity to perform at the Young, Gifted & Black: A Search for Excellence Scholarship Recital, held annually in Kilbourn Hall.
This year’s recipient is Eastman student Lauren Edwards, a sophomore violinist. She will perform on Sunday, April 27 at 3:30 PM in Kilbourn Hall in an event that will also be livestreamed. ESM Marketing & Communications student employee Andrew Sieradzki ’26E had the opportunity to connect with Lauren and discuss her recital program, inspirations, and familial connection to this event.
Q: What was your musical upbringing like?
I cannot talk about my musical upbringing without talking about my amazingly talented and loving mother, Mellasenah Edwards ’89E — an Eastman alum! — who truly sparked the fire for my musical journey. She herself is a violinist, and was destined to have at least one out of her three daughters become a musician.
Lauren hugs her mother, violinist Mellasenah Edwards ’89E, in Lowry Hall
And so, from the age of 5 years old, my mother and I would listen to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Mozart’s Requiem on the way home from school. I would watch her orchestra concerts with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and spend my days after school sitting in her music office at the performing arts highschool, Baltimore School for the Arts. She enrolled me into the Peabody Preparatory at age 6, where I would become a prep student until the age of 18. While enrolled in the Peabody Preparatory, I would spend my Saturdays playing in a wide variety of orchestral and chamber ensembles, along with private lessons. I expanded my horizons around age 13, when I started to audition for summer music festivals out of the state. My grandmother, who is a pianist and former dean of the Peabody Institute, would accompany me during recitals during the semester. It was such an amazing experience to perform alongside my grandmother on stage. I auditioned and got accepted into the Baltimore School for the Arts, expanding my orchestral and chamber experience even further, while also learning music theory and literature. While my musical upbringing was intense starting from a young age, it was always surrounded by love and support. My mother, who has been with me from the very beginning, giving me tips and miniature lessons, all the way to supporting and traveling with me through college auditions. My family, who always attends my performances and watch my live streamed events. My friends, whom I am able to share and create music with. All of these important people in my life have been nothing but loving and supportive of my craft, which is how I am here today.
Q: Who or what inspires you?
Edwards performs in a Black History Month Showcase, presented by the Black Students Union at Eastman.
My peers and friends are what inspire me the most. From attending Peabody Preparatory, watching my friends perform in their studio recitals, to attending Eastman and being surrounded by so many talented and hardworking people, seeing their passion fuels me. Nothing makes me smile more than listening to everyone in the annex practice rooms, working so hard to get their repertoire together, and seeing their hard work pay off when I watch them perform on stage. It is an honor to make music with them, that’s when the music is the most present.
Q: What does receiving the Links Scholarship mean to you?
Receiving the Links Scholarship means the world to me, especially knowing that my mother won this exact scholarship when she was a sophomore here at Eastman, and knowing that we performed on practically the same exact date. Her recital was on Sunday, April 26, 1986. Knowing that I will step onto the same stage as my mother almost brings me to tears. I am the only female Black violinist at Eastman, as of today, and realizing this makes me feel quite alone. This feeling of solitude is nothing new to me, as I have always been the only black string player in every music setting. In 1986, my mother was also the only female black violinist at the school. Receiving this scholarship reminds me that I am not alone, and that I am seen, just like my mother, and many other Black musicians before me.
Q: What can you share about the program you’ll be performing on April 27?
The Franck Violin Sonata has been one of the biggest projects for me in my musical journey thus far. I remember the first time I listened to this beautiful work. During the early stages of the pandemic, my preparatory teacher Rebecca Henry would have in-person studio classes, making sure everyone had on a mask and was socially distanced. At the time, my drive and love for music was on a downward slope, considering that all of my outlets of music, from orchestra performances to private lessons, were cancelled or moved virtually. I found it quite difficult to find that spark when the music was not in front of me, where I could share it with other people. My studio mate, Anne Marie, performed the third and fourth movement of the sonata in class. I recall leaving that studio class feeling so emotionally moved, and that beloved spark for music burst back into life. It was the most beautiful piece of music I have ever heard. I went home and listened to so many recordings of the Franck sonata, destined to play it when the time was right. When it was time to pick my sonata repertoire for my sophomore year at Eastman, I immediately requested to play Franck. Little did I know that it would require more than simple practice to really know the piece. There were parts of me that I needed to discover while learning this piece, trying to get its emotional intensity to its peak. The performance of this piece in its entirety means so much to me, as this sonata was the piece that practically revived my love for music during the pandemic.
Performing the Franck violin sonata is truly fulfilling, but being able to perform alongside other people on stage creates a more fulfilling and emotional experience. The other selection of music on the program involves my dear friend and cellist, Tyler Brown. The Samuel Colridge Taylor’s Piano Trio, entitled Five Negroe Melodies, is filled with a musical understanding that I cannot describe. It is a part of my culture, deeply rooted within me as an African-American musician. Performing this piece and being able to share this unique emotion with an audience is what I love about music. It brings people together. A chamber ensemble performance leaves us musicians to communicate in a different language, and witnessing that musical dialogue is truly beautiful.
Links Scholarship Recital
Sunday, April 27 at 3:30 PM | Kilbourn Hall