Student Spotlight: Veronica Li
Veronica Li is a Junior at Harvard and a Double Concentrator in Music and Psychology. “I’m a clarinetist and the former Creative Director and current President of the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra. I’m also part of the Harvard College Opera Orchestra, Harvard Pops Orchestra, and the PBHA Harmony Mentorship program.” Veronica is also part of the Harvard-New England Conservatory Dual Degree Program, “I actually auditioned for the Harvard-NEC program while I was in my freshman year here.” She says, “It’s a highly selective program, which means there weren’t a lot of people within the program that I could talk with about it before applying. I didn’t apply in high school because I knew that applying during my freshman year was an option. It just so happened that the chamber group I was part of during my fall semester had two upperclassmen that were part of the Harvard-NEC program.” She explains, “I got to ask them all the questions I had about the program, and getting to do that, combined with my experiences with the faculty both here and at NEC, solidified my decision to apply to the dual degree program.”
Q: Describe how you chose your path of musical study at Harvard. What influenced your decisions?
“Music has been at the forefront of my life for as long as I can remember; the thought of leaving that part of me behind never even crossed my mind. In high school I had a pretty typical classical music upbringing, I had clarinet lessons and orchestra rehearsals, along with taking Western music theory and ear training classes.
I feel like concentrating in music at Harvard wasn’t even really a choice that I made. Pursuing music academically was basically a foregone conclusion because music is so central to who I am as a person. … In high school, I interned at the Nordoff Robbins Center for Music Therapy at NYU. It was the first time that I saw music function outside of a listening or performance context and I was amazed to see this whole other side to music. My interest in the intersection of music and psychology influenced my decision to concentrate in psychology as well as music. When I chose Harvard, I knew I was on the right path.”
Photo Credit: Catie Thai
Q: Which music courses have you found the most rewarding, and why?
“The Music Department offers a diverse range of music offerings, both academic and performance based. I’ve taken Music 189 (Chamber Music Performance) every semester that I’ve been here. This course has been particularly rewarding, as it has allowed me to gain strong grasps of multiple core clarinet chamber works through specific and insightful comments during coachings.
Another class that I really enjoy is one that I am taking right now called Music 220 Global History of Music Theory with Professor Alex Rehding. We have only had a few classes so far, but the content is very different from that of any music class I have taken in the past. We are beginning with the origins of Greek music theory and the conflicting Pythagorean conception of music intervals as reflections of divine cosmic order and the Aristoxenian view of music as a purely music phenomenon. When he speaks in class, it is clear that Professor Rehding is extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the topic, and I know I will continue to learn a lot from his class.”
Photo Credit: Rahul Prasad
Q: How have you explored music performance at Harvard? What avenues have been most rewarding?
“My main performance activity on campus has been the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO) with the wonderful Music Director Federico Cortese. I knew I wanted to be a part of it before I got to Harvard and I joined at the start of freshman year. I absolutely love being part of HRO, we play a repertoire that I think typical youth and college orchestras don’t usually play. Last year for our final concert we played parts of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde which is something I don’t think you see a lot of college orchestras playing. Often they focus more on the typical classical repertoire pieces like Brahms or Beethoven. Getting that experience is so cool, especially getting to play with the singers like the Wagner piece. I don’t often get the opportunity to perform with singers, but when I do it’s incredible to hear the blending between the natural voice and my instrument’s voice. The human voice is so special, there’s an inherent natural way of phrasing that instrumentalists try to emulate, and getting more exposure to it is great.”
Q: Tell us about an experience in the Harvard Department of Music that helped to shape your artistic identity, and how you hope to carry that experience with you after graduation
“The Music Department provides so many opportunities and I’ve been so grateful that I’ve gotten to take advantage of so many of them. If I had to choose one, getting to play the E-flat clarinet last year with the HRO for 2 pieces, Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé Suite 2. I discovered a love for playing E-flat clarinet from these two cycles; while I love the lyrical solos written for B-flat clarinet, the E-flat has a distinct quality that works well when playing very extroverted solos. For a long time growing up, I was scared of playing out in an orchestra, but playing the E-flat clarinet has brought out a different side of my playing and I’m not afraid of having a large sound when it’s warranted anymore. Playing the E-flat required that I conquer any timidity and play with confidence. I think that this newfound boldness in my instrumental voice has influenced my speaking voice to be more confident as well.”