NIU music students Reilly Farrell and Ben Gilbert first met in aural skills class. Reilly - who has perfect pitch - would help Ben at times. So when Ben, a cellist, was looking for a talented violinist with which to play Kodaly's Duo, Reilly was top of mind.
They hit it off as friends and musically, and soon decided to form the Overcon Duo and hit the practice rooms, where they'd spend countless hours perfecting Kodaly's tricky piece - even getting kicked out late at night after many hours of practice.
The time in the 'shed paid off, as the duo won this year's NIU School of Music Chamber Ensemble competition, where they had performed one movement of Kodaly's duo.
We invited them into the studio to perform the entire piece, which places high demands on musicianship and ensemble playing. This is a fiercely talented duo.