The true potential of music cannot be realized until its beauty has been shared. As a violinist in the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra, I rediscovered this seemingly obvious statement through the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 on Saturday, February 27th, with Philip Back ’10 performing the virtuosic piano solo.

In a sense, hearing the Rachmaninoff piano concerto is a remarkably personal experience. You realize that the soloist has invited you in to share the profound passion and commitment he himself feels for the music. When you first meet Philip, you get a sense that he’s extremely reserved, as though mysterious barriers have been constructed around him. This may compel you to maintain your distance, not wanting to disturb or impose upon the reputedly impenetrable Philip Back.

But when he plays the piano, you hear the rapturous melodies of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2, and you cannot help but become inextricably drawn into the thrill and intensity of the music, his music.

For any musician, one of the most gratifying elements of a performance is the ability to share it with others. While this satisfaction makes any concert worthwhile, it made Saturday’s concert even more so—because that night, our orchestra not only performed musical masterpieces, but we also saw one of our peers, Philip Back, share his own music and passion with a public audience in Spaulding. And as fellow musicians, we could all relate with and respect the commitment it takes to perform the Rachmaninoff concerto.

After the concert, a piano instructor Phil and I both share told me that he once asked Phil: “Out of everything you could have performed, why did you choose the Rachmaninoff?” Philip answered that he’d heard the piece when he was young, and fell in love with the music. With that early fascination, Philip (a philosophy and music major, soon-to-be 2nd lieutenant in the US Army) committed himself to realizing those dreams at Dartmouth. And for anyone listening, to experience the culmination of that dedicated passion inspires an even greater appreciation for the music itself.

The Rachmaninoff piano concerto ended in a powerful, dizzying climax, immersing the entire orchestra with tangible energy and emotional connection. As I heard the audience explode, surging into a standing ovation, I felt the unexpected and uncharacteristic traces of moisture on my own cheeks, and at that moment, I realized that sharing music is not a one-way street. Because ultimately, the music Philip offered was for the audience, for our orchestra, and for himself. After that concert, no one could doubt that the true potential of music is meant to be shared.