By Kayla Steinman, Contributor
Last Tuesday we had a beautiful, albeit bittersweet, concert for one of Douglas College’s most amazing music instructors: the Farewell Concert for Ellen Silverman. After 32 years of dedication and love for teaching, Ellen Silverman is now retiring, and we will miss her artistic presence.
It was a wonderful concert, in which four of Silverman’s former students came and played. The concert began with three amazing young women playing the entrance piece: In-Hee Kim on flute, Soo-Hee Lee on cello, and Jeeyeon Han on the piano. I imagine Silverman was in awe of the talent she helped create; if I were their teacher, I’d be proud to see and hear these students of mine play. The last of Silverman’s students that played was Konstantin Klimov, on the piano.
But as amazing as these four up-and-coming artists were, the real reason most of us were there was to hear one of the last on-campus performances by Silverman, and it was definitely something to look forward to. It’s easy to understand why she is so well-loved by her former students and the faculty. Ellen’s husband, Robert Silverman, who is also a music teacher at Douglas, joined Ellen in playing the piano. Ellen and Robert were so in sync while playing together, it was as if they were in their own world; just them and the piano.
Ellen Silverman has been a teacher at Douglas College since 1980. In that time, she has become the Head of the Piano Division, giving numerous solo recitals, and working with other facilities. She has also worked with the Douglas College choirs over the years as a piano accompany. She holds a master’s degree from Syracuse University, on top of graduating from Eastman School of Music.
Silverman stated that she plans to continue working at her private studio in Vancouver and join in on music festivals around the province. We wish her the best of luck in retirement, and may the relaxation that retirement brings be as satisfying as teaching so many brilliant students.
