Nichi Weibel Recital Review

Nichi Weibel is a mezzo soprano Senior at the University of Missouri School of Music and to say her voice is an outlier among most singers would be considered an understatement. I only write this because it is fundamentally true.

Ms. Weibel’s recital is a portrayal of the beauty in classical English, French and German ballads that come from the Romantic era of music as well as a small collection of modern-day songs. I first discovered Ms. Weibel through the Newman Catholic center my freshman year here at the University of Missouri. Ms. Weibel was one of the choir singers in the center’s Sunday service choir and the range of her voice provided the choir with some high notes that were near impossible to reach for many.

While I am not familiar with all the songs that were sung throughout Ms. Weibel’s recital, her performance shows hints of sadness mixed in with hopefulness as the piano urges her on to sing what she feels. Bomi Kim, Ms. Weibel’s accompanist, supported the vocalist with gentle and somber tones throughout the recital. The keys that are played can be gentle at times, but sometimes it can bring a sort of somberness to the songs that Ms. Weibel sings.

The standout songs of her recital were her original rendition of “She Used to Be Mine” by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and “Thank You for the Music” by ABBA. Each performance of these songs shows the joy Ms. Weibel’s voice as she reaches the high notes of each song. These performances remind me of the songs she would typically sing at the weekly E3 meetings which were hosted by the Newman Center’s Mizzou Catholic society. Her performances at these weekly meetings made the meetings livelier in spirit.

While Ms. Weibel’s recital only lasted for no more than forty minutes, her voice is something that captures one’s attention. Weibel’s clear, translucent voice rings the ears and then invites them to go on a tour of warm tones that sooth the mind and soul. As Ms. Weibel sings, her angelic voice sends a message to the audience to lose themselves in the moment and be appreciate the sounds they are listening to. Not only has Weibel done this multiple times in and out of the School of Music, she does it with such professionalism.

I was surprised to think that a voice recital could be considered as a form of music since the voice is not necessarily a physical instrument, but the implementation of the Ms. Kim’s piano with Ms. Weibel’s vocals makes the performance not only intimate, but worth the listen. The mix of piano notes and vocals blends together in some songs and you can hear the range and tone both performers go through with their musical talent.

Nichi Weibel’s Voice recital was definitely worth the listen, not only because I got to see one of my campus acquaintances sing professionally for the first time outside of the Newman Catholic center, but the deep appreciation I have now rediscovered in the practices of classical music and vocal performances.