International Women’s Day recognized with concert

In recognition of International Women's Day, which was March 8, the University of North Georgia (UNG) Department of Music held a concert showcasing award-winning female students and faculty members March 2 at UNG's Gainesville Campus in the lobby of the Performing Arts building. Dr. Joanna Kim, associate department head and professor of music, planned the event.

"The UNG International Women’s Day Celebration Concert highlights the artistic achievements and leadership of women in music within our community. Now in its seventh year since its founding in 2019, the event features outstanding women faculty alongside award-winning female music students, celebrating excellence, mentorship and the continued impact of women in the arts," Kim said.

Soprano Elena Mejia performed "Frühlingsglaube" by Franz Schubert and "Let My Song Fill Your Heart" by Ernest Charles. She was accompanied by pianist Vivian Doublestein. A Fortson, Georgia, resident, Mejia was the recipient of the 2026 Rising Musician Award for the Dahlonega Campus. She is in her sophomore year, pursuing a degree in choral music education.

"The idea of celebrating International Women's Day by featuring some of the beautiful women in our department is just so sweet. It's a beautiful event," Mejia said. "Women weren't able to perform publicly for so long, and I feel like we've come so far and it's just so nice to recognize that for a night."

Sofia Perez, also a soprano, was the 2026 C.J. Dismukes Distinguished Musician Award recipient and sang "The Girl in 14G" by Jeanine Tesori and "Chacun le sait" by Gaetano Donizetti accompanied by Doublestein. Perez is a junior pursuing a degree in music vocal performance. She hails from Grayson, Georgia.

"It was an honor to receive the award and to have been given the opportunity to perform," she said. "It was a great deal of fun."

Pianist Melanie Prichici’s performance included "La Fille aux cheveux de lin from Prelude Book I" by Claude Debussy. She received the 2026 Rising Musician Award for the Gainesville Campus. A freshman, Prichici is pursuing a degree in piano performance. She is from Dacula, Georgia.  

"It's very recent history where women have the freedom to express ourselves in music. It's important to highlight the very talented female faculty and students here," Prichici said. I'm honored to be a part of this."

The fourth student who performed was clarinetist Piper Spraker from Dahlonega, Georgia. Spraker is a senior pursuing degrees in musical arts and physics and a math minor. She  played "Andante Expressivo from Three Intermezzi, Op. 13, NO. 1" by Charles Villiers Stanford, accompanied by Dr. Chen Fang Hsu. Spraker was awarded the 2026 Lyman Hammond Leadership award.

"I think all the women who performed did an amazing job," Spraker said. "I was nervous because I wanted to represent the university and women as a whole well, but I was so happy with it."

"Chanson Et Passepied" by Jeanine Rueff, was performed by Mariah Westmoreland on the saxophone. Hsu accompanied her on the piano. Westmoreland is the 2026 Service Award recipient and played "She Danced in The Rain" by Cait Nishimura. She is a junior from Cleveland, Georgia, pursuing a degree in instrumental music education.

Bethany Bruning, a senior from Demorest, Georgia, was accompanied by Dr. Sanghie Lee as she played "She Danced in the Rain" by Cait Nishimura on the euphonium. She said she was inspired by her middle school band directors to play the euphonium and describes it as "powerful," adding that she feels strong playing the instrument.

"I am very grateful to have the opportunity to get to perform with all the other women in the music department, students and faculty. I've always looked up to them. Dr. Lee especially, she's a phenomenal piano player,” Bruning said of the performance. "I like the idea of celebrating International Women's Day by featuring some of the beautiful women in our department."

Bruning is the 2026 Music Service Award recipient and is pursuing a degree in music education.

Dr. Yue Yin, a soprano, performed two pieces including "Ah! Je veux vivre" from "Roméo et Juliette" by Gouno and "Les oiseaux dans la charmille" from "The Tales of Hoffmann" by Offenbac. Doublestein was her accompanist.

Lee was the final performer of the concert, playing "Chopin Etude Op.10 No.8 in F Major, Liszt Transcendental Etude No.10 in F minor," and "Rachmaninoff Moment Musicaux No.4 in E minor."

UNG Department of Music upcoming events

• March 18, 7:30 p.m., The Forza Trio "Past and Present: Music by Women in the 19th and 20th Centuries," Gloria Shott Performance Hall, Dahlonega.
• March 26, 7:30 p.m., Guest artist Justing Doughtery, cellist in concert, Gloria Shott Performance Hall, Dahlonega.
• March 30, 7:30 p.m., Guest artist Dr. Ruoyang Xiang, violist, and UNG faculty Dr. Jushi Yang and Dr. Sanghie Lee, Gloria Shott Performance Hall, Dahlonega .
• March 30, 7:30 p.m., Spring Euphoria featuring the UNG Low Brass Ensemble and Low Brass Collective, Hoag Student Center, Dahlonega.
• March 31, 7:30 p.m., Guest concert featuring Jazzie Pigott, tuba, Hoag Student Center,
• April 1, 7:30 p.m., UNG String Band Spring Concert, Gloria Shott Performance Hall, Dahlonega.
• April 2, 7:30 p.m., Guest concert featuring Dr. Lee Kim Yang, "Gypsy, Lyric, and Fire: Piano Trios across Europe, Works by Haydn, Smetana, and Turina," Gloria Shott Performance Hall, Dahlonega.
• April 6, 7:30 p.m., A Little Night(hawk) Music Concert, Ed Cabell Performance Center, Gainesville.
• April 9-10, 7:30 p.m. each day, UNG Theater Ensemble performance, Gloria Shott Performance Hall, Dahlonega.
• April 20, 7:30 p.m., Guest artist Justing Doughtery, cellist in concert, Ed Cabell Performance Center, Gainesville.
• April 20, 7:30 p.m., UNG Percussion Ensemble concert, Hoag Student Center, Dahlonega.
• April 21, 7:30 p.m., UNG Voice Honors Division concert, Gloria Shott Performance Hall, Dahlonega.
• April 22, 7:30 p.m., UNG Nighthawk Big Band Concert, Hoag Student Center, Dahlonega.