- Hi, my name is Ivyann Shen.

I'm a sophomore at the Emma Willard School, and I play the piano.

(slow classical music) [Ivyann] The piece I performed was Ballade No.2 in F Major by Chopin.

And I don't think i'll ever tire of listening or playing this piece because it is truly a roller coaster.

And I fell in love with it because of its subtleties, contrast, and the overall story it tells.

It opens in a very gentle nostalgic F Major key.

That is just very sweet.

(soft classical music) Something subtle and clever that Chopin does is that through the recurrence of the note "A", and every Major cord, he actually foreshadows the Presto Con Fuoco, A Minor section, that is about to be unleashed.

And this section is the complete opposite (fast classical music) Afterwards, there's this brief respite using the return of the opening theme.

(soft and somber classical music) But this time it is much less happy and innocent and more uneasy and disturbed.

(soft and somber classical music) Then that is quickly followed by the return of the quick section.

(fast classical music) And it just builds and builds for several pages continuously up until a climatic and discordance cord progression.

And I like to call it this progression, the "Coup De Grâce" or "the killing blow" to the sons' protagonist.

(fast classical music) Whenever I played this piece I imagined a hero's life that has a bit of a morbid and tragic ending.

But technical challenges and its fiery emotions, make it a really fun piece to play every time.

(fast classical music) Some of the things that helped me build my own story behind this was some, some renditions by professional musicians.

But also I drew inspiration from some of the books and literature I hadn't read before.

And that's how I formulated my idea and interpretation of it being the story of a protagonist and his downfall.

(soft classical music) I of course, want to thank Dr. Sfirelen for not only nominating me, but also her continuous support every day.

And I want to thank my current piano teacher, Mr. Michael Themopolis.

I owe him so much.

And I'd like to thank my past piano teachers, Miss Kay Khan and Ms. Noel Libertine, for their help in my growth.

And of course I want to thank my beloved family.

They have been my biggest supporters since day one.

And finally a shout out to my beloved Emma Willard community.

And it is such a talented and diverse and encouraging community.

And it has fueled my passion for piano every day that I was there.

(soft piano note fading)