Frostburg State University Soprano Riley Hayes Presents Senior Recital “Beauty in Melancholy”

Apr 9, 2026 8:00 AM

Frostburg State University’s Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance is pleased to announce the senior recital of Riley Hayes, soprano, titled Beauty in Melancholy. The performance will take place on Sunday, April 19, at 3:00 p.m. in the Pealer Recital Hall of the Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center on the FSU campus. The event is free and open to the public. Those unable to attend in person may watch the live-stream via the link at www.frostburg.edu/concerts.

Hayes, a senior from La Plata, Md., and a graduate of La Plata High School, is completing a bachelor's degree in music education with an anticipated graduation date of May 21, 2026. Her career goal is to teach middle or high school choir. She has studied with FSU vocal instructors Dr. Scott Rieker, Dr. Chung-Ting Chao and Michael Welch, and previously with Gregory Scott Stuart.

Accompanying Hayes on piano will be Dr. Joseph Yungen, collaborative pianist and faculty member in the Department of Music. The recital will also feature guest artist Erica Records, soprano.

The program explores themes of longing, sorrow, love, and resilience through a diverse selection of art songs and arias spanning the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and modern eras. The first half of the program includes:

  • Lascia ch’io pianga from “Rinaldo” – George Frideric Handel
  • O del mio dolce ardor from “Paride ed Elena” – Christoph Willibald von Gluck
  • Benché ti sia crudel from “6 canzoncine” – Isabella Angela Colbran
  • Good Girl Winnie Foster from “Tuck Everlasting” – Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen
  • Many a New Day from “Oklahoma!” – Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
  • In uomini, in soldati from “Così fan tutte” and Via resti servita from “Le nozze di Figaro” – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The second half includes:

  • Mein Lied ertönt from “Gypsy Songs” – Antonín Dvořák
  • Für Musik – Robert Franz
  • Der Nussbaum from “Myrthen,” Op. 25 – Robert Schumann
  • L’incredule – Reynaldo Hahn
  • Toujours and Adieu from “Poème d’un jour” – Gabriel Fauré
  • Thy Hand, Belinda and When I Am Laid in Earth from “Dido and Aeneas” – Henry Purcell

Program notes and translations will be provided at the performance, offering insight into the emotional depth and historical context of each piece—from Handel’s lament of captivity and Mozart’s witty commentary on fidelity, to Fauré’s reflections on love and loss, and Dvořák’s evocation of wandering sorrow.

This recital showcases Hayes’ growth as a vocalist and her passion for sharing music that finds elegance and meaning in melancholy. The Department of Music, Theatre and Dance invites the community to celebrate this milestone in her artistic journey.

For more information and the livestream link, visit www.frostburg.edu/concerts. For media inquiries, contact the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance at FSU at music@frostburg.edu or 301-687-4109.