Presented by the Emerson/Harris Program for Private Study Solo Recital Series
Livestream: https://mta.mit.edu/viewlisten/live-killian-hall
"alone" is a fully solo cello recital exploring the counterpoint to human connection: isolation. It adapts the dramatic arc from the genre of tragedy, guiding listeners through various dimensions of solitude toward catharsis and peace. In four acts, the program weaves together works from disparate eras, styles, and traditions, suggesting that even when seemingly alone—and amid the turbulence of an ever-changing world—we remain bound together by shared human experience.
About the Performers
Because Valerie K. Chen (EECS ’22, EECS MEng ’23) believes music can bring people together, she founded MIT’s first cello club CelloWorld(); and associated ensemble Cello++ (abbreviated C++). Beyond the cello world, her Music Unites: Songs for Equity (MUSE) Project launched an MIT video performance series highlighting Black artists.
Valerie's performances span genres and formats, from jams with her jazz combo "The Koalas" to an appearance as soloist with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall for MIT Tech Night. Whether presenting the seldom-performed Korngold Cello Concerto as MIT Symphony Orchestra concerto competition winner, redefining performance spaces through campus pop-up series "Sharing Notes," or exploring parallels between music and theater, Valerie finds great satisfaction in reimagining expectations of cello performance.
Valerie continues her passion for musical collaboration in Cambridge and Greater Boston through chamber music concerts with friends and performances with local orchestras, building on her experience as principal cellist of California All-State and All-National honor orchestras. She remains immensely grateful to her teachers Joyce Geeting, Maureen Hynes, Clive Greensmith, Kee-Hyun Kim, and Christine Lamprea.
Currently pursuing her PhD in interactive robotics advised by Prof. Julie Shah, Valerie's goal in both research and music is to improve lives through small interactions—which naturally compels her to share music jokes, no matter how minor the opportunity.
About the Emerson/Harris Program for Private Study
Support for private musical study is available for students through the Emerson/Harris Program (E/HP), which offers merit-based financial awards for outstanding achievement on instruments or voice in classical, jazz, or world music. Each academic year, the program awards Scholarships and Fellowships to nearly seventy students who commit to a full year’s study and participate in the musical life of MIT.
Auditions for the program are held at the beginning of each academic year. Private teacher selections, made in consultation with the E/HP jury heads, may include instructors from MIT staff and throughout Greater Boston. The Emerson/Harris Program is funded by the late Mr. Cherry L. Emerson, Jr. (SM, 1941), in response to an appeal from AssociateProvost Ellen T. Harris (Class of 1949 Professor Emeritus of Music). The Emerson/Harris Masterclass Series is supported, in part, by the Robert L. Malster (1956) Fund.
