by Jiana Martin '26
Senior Evelyn Simanowski ‘25’s greatest passion since childhood has been music. Pursuing music in her studies and career was always a part of her desired plans and a “series of perfectly crafted ‘God moments’” allowed her to attend Houghton University (HU) to follow those dreams.
“I believe so deeply that the talents God has given us correspond with the life He has written for us and the musical gifts He has given me deserve to be honed and developed to glorify Him and live out the life He has for me to the fullest,” Simanowski expressed.
Despite her undying love for music, her musical journey has not unfolded without some hardships. One of which has been accepting that perfection is unattainable. As a perfectionist, it has been a hard lesson for Simanowski to learn that a perfect performance will never be achieved despite all the time and effort put into it.
“When you learn that lesson you can become discouraged and give up,” Simanowski reflected, “or you can rise to the task at hand and pursue excellence anyways for the sake and value of the art.”
During her years at HU, one of her greatest professional accomplishments has been placing as a finalist in the National Association for Teachers of Singing Solo Festival in the Finger Lakes Region. Simanowski also noted that having the opportunity to play Amalia Balash in the Lyric Theatre’s production of “She Loves Me” was “a huge marker of the progress [she] made in these last four years.” However, despite these milestones in her Houghton career, Simanowski’s greatest achievement has been perceiving her musical talents as God-given gifts and interactions as opportunities to give him the glory.
As a culmination of her time at HU, Simanowski will be performing her senior recital titled “Faint Heart Never Won” on Feb. 19 at 8 p.m.
Simanowski shared that the title originates from the English proverb “Faint heart never won fair maiden,” which “serves as a lesson that if one sets out to achieve difficult things, effort will be involved.”
She has chosen to perform pieces she loves containing female figures and characters who lived through unfavorable circumstances, yet are remembered for their strength and dignity. The performance will include “Try Me, Good King” by Libby Larsen that uses the last words of each of the wives of Henry VIII, a song cycle by Debussy using some French poetry and “Song to the Moon”, an aria by Antonin Dvořák.
“I chose pieces for my recital that would challenge me vocally and intellectually, requiring thought on my part to bring the text and the composer’s vision to life,” Simanowski explained.
Reflecting on his time working with Simanowski as a collaborative pianist, Senior Ryan Nickelsen ‘25 has appreciated her “willingness to be flexible in the way she performs any given song.” Rehearsing and performing with her has been an easy and enjoyable experience because she sees the pianist as a fellow performer rather than a supporting role. Simanowski’s professionalism and enthusiasm in her singing stand out to Nickelsen.
He commented that as a past observer and a current accompanist, “it has been a delight to see her continue to push herself to become a better singer, even when it seemed as if she had already hit her cap.”
Nickelsen is excited to share the hard work he and Simanowski have put into the recital and hopes that everyone will enjoy it as much as he has enjoyed putting it together with her.
For Prof. Kimberly Prins Moeller, Associate Professor of Voice, walking with Simanowski and getting to know her over the past four years has been a privilege and a joy. She admires her dedication, willingness and how she welcomes feedback and critique in a positive manner.
“They say still waters run deep and I think that is quite appropriate for Evelyn. Her head is always on straight, she is a thoughtful student in every way, and she is not afraid of the effort it will take to achieve her goals,” Moeller shared. “Evelyn is also extremely self-aware and unafraid of questioning and revisiting her dreams and plans,” she added.
Moeller is excited about the many stories told through Simanowski’s selections, and the new colors and qualities of her voice that will be displayed.
“It’s a compelling recital that you definitely don’t want to miss,” Moeller said and added, “I trust that this recital will be a celebration of all her creativity, work and accomplishments!” ★
