Lakehead music student overcomes health challenges to place first in Crescendo piano competition
Evelyn Davenport performed at Carnegie Hall on Christmas Eve in 2017 as part of the American Protege Competition.
March 3, 2022 – Thunder Bay, Ont.
A Lakehead University music student overcame great odds to place first in the Crescendo piano competition held in December 2021, allowing her to participate in an online winners’ recital on Monday, Feb. 14.
From September 2020 to June 2021, Evelyn Davenport dealt with a serious overuse injury in her back and left shoulder, requiring months of physical therapy. This injury prevented her from practicing long hours at the piano and learning physically demanding pieces.
“Brahms' Ballade was one of the first new pieces I learned since recovering from my injury,” Davenport said.
Competing with this piece motivated her and helped build back up her confidence.
“Rediscovering my physical and musical independence has been a lengthy and difficult process, so I feel incredibly blessed to have performed this piece to the best of my abilities.”
Last semester Davenport started learning all six pieces in Brahms' opus 118. The Ballade is the third piece in the set. Out of the six, it is one of the more animated and demanding pieces, Davenport said.
She practiced this piece for approximately four weeks. While playing it, she focuses on the dense, big chords.
“I am focused on maintaining a relaxed wrist and arm throughout the piece for a powerful sound. The piece also has long, vocal-like melodies that Brahms is well-known for. I strive for a singing quality to my playing so these melodies can shine through.
“It was a perfect concert piece to showcase my musicality and technique,” Davenport said.
This is her fourth time playing and winning a prize in the Crescendo competition.
The judge appreciated Davenport’s interpretation, commenting on her technique and how she made a full and noble sound. The judge also said Davenport “presented this piece with maturity, great poise, and artistry.”
Due to the pandemic, Davenport was unable to travel to New York to perform in person this winter. Although this was disappointing at first, it gave her the opportunity to instead perform in an online concert as part of the winners’ recital on February 14, allowing family and friends who would not otherwise be able to hear her play to enjoy the concert.
“I will have the opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall in 2023 because I won first place in the American Protege competition in October 2021 with a different piece.”
Davenport may participate in the Crescendo exchange program in Italy this summer, although she is not sure if she can because she will already be in Italy to play a solo recital at the winners’ concert for the Cremona program and the dates may overlap.
While in Italy, she will be playing Beethoven’s fourth piano concerto with the Cremona Festival Orchestra.
Davenport is extraordinarily grateful for all of the help she received along the way.
“I would like to thank my piano teacher, Evgeny Chugunov, my parents, Eric and Karen Davenport, my chiropractor Dr. Michael Pustina, and my personal trainer Tanice Marcella. I would not be where I am without their continued guidance and support.”
Follow this link for a video of Davenport performing Brahms Ballade op. 118 no. 3.
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Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2022 World Universities Rankings for the third consecutive year, and in the top 100 of 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.