Mentor and mentee reunited for USD Low String Studio concert

The USD Low String Studio is the first concert to play in the National Music Museum’s renovated amphitheater on Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.

Professor Sonja Kraus, the cello and double bass instructor at USD, has invited her former instructor from Indiana University, Professor Emilio Colón, to play with the Low String Studio.

“I met him in 2011, and then decided to study my graduate degrees with him at Indiana University,” Kraus said. “What fascinates me about him—I mean, he’s a fantastic cellist and pedagogue and does so many things so well—but what fascinates me about him is his passion, to use music as a tool to do something good.”

Kraus said the Low String Studio is comprised of her and her students at USD. The concert will feature Colón, his wife Cara Elise Colón and Kraus playing solos and duets. The USD Chamber Orchestra will also play during the concert.

Colón said his studies in Europe and his background, growing up and living in Puerto Rico, were very influential on his own teaching methods.

“I think everybody has something really special to offer. And for me, what I try to offer is a compilation of what has been given to me in the past, and what I mean by that is I like to look at each person as a completely different individual,” Colón said.

Kraus said she and Colón are playing a duet by Boccherini. The duet has sentimental value for Kraus because this was the duet Colón and his mentor played during their first concert.

“(Colón) said this is our real first concert together, so we should play it, so it made me kind of emotional because I thought that was very nice of him,” Kraus said.

Colón said he was looking forward to visiting USD and seeing his former student again.

“I’m constantly traveling for concerts or for giving lectures and classes and so on. But in this case, this is just a joyful occasion for me because it would be my first visit to USD, but not just that, (it) is the fact that it is (for) a former student who is now the cello professor there, and it brings me amazing joy to be able to go there and witness what she is doing and then helping the process of the continuous growth for her and the school,” Colón said.