With its dark wood paneling and red curtains, the Kirkland JCR was the perfect setting for an evening of beautiful music and elegantly dressed performers. I settled on a sofa in the fourth row. The room soon filled with dresses, suits, tuxedos, and laughter. Friends exchanged flowers; couples found seats together.

The evening began with opening remarks from Presidents Christopher Lim and Helen Cho, who welcomed the audience and gave a brief account of MIHNUET's history and mission. Then Luyi Huang and Fanny Chen of Tuesday Magazine (co-president and co-director of business board, respectively) spoke about Tuesday and its partnership with MIHNUET, saying the partnership was "organic" because both organizations seek to bring art into people's lives. Finally, MIHNUET's outgoing presidents, James Goldschmidt and Benjamin Lee, said they had "enjoyed being at the helm" of MIHNUET and praised its "wonderful new presidents."

With that, the music began. I was astonished when the first pianist sat down without music and began to play Beethoven from memory. Rich, flowing chords poured out of the instrument, filling the room with their grandeur. I could see the musician leaning forward in concentration, yet the music seemed like a natural and beautiful phenomenon, blossoming with no trace of effort. The piece shifted in tones that defy language -- Dulcet? Triumphant? Bright? The only constant was its magnificence.

Beethoven was a popular choice that night; several more pianists performed his work, including co-president Christopher Lim. Some pieces were gentler than others, some faster or slower, but (as one might expect of Beethoven and of MIHNUET) all were dramatic and beautiful.

A pair of flautists gave Mozart a lighter touch. They balanced each other perfectly, and their playful duet gave me the impression of silver-slippered nymphs. In a different vein, a soloist sang an iPod favorite: "Defying Gravity" from the musical Wicked. The singer made the song her own, delivering the lyrics with a sassy edge. A marvelous Liszt piece for piano rounded out the first part of the concert. It occurred to me that it would be glorious to be synesthetic, to see the chords unroll themselves in shades of green, yellow, red.

The intermission came sooner than I expected. I found my friend Abby (who won free tickets to the concert) and took pictures while she told me how glad she was to be at the concert. I got a cup of Sprite but missed out on the cookies. Then I headed for the front of the room to hear an unusual instrument: PVC pipes! Two women struck the plastic pipes on their palms to play a famous Mozart melody (known to the English-speaking world as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star").

The Board now took a few minutes to honor MIHNUET's "Platinum Members," those who had performed on more than six trips to hospitals and nursing homes. We cheered as Allie Greenfield was named the Most Dedicated Member.

The concert continued with a violin, cello, and piano ensemble. Their sound was warm and soothing, swelling beautifully in certain moments. The piano provided an indispensable landscape through which the cello flowed and the violin soared. Next came another brilliant Beethoven, followed by a favorite of mine: the "Tango Jalousie". The violinist and pianist were everything a tango should be: bold, passionate, sexy. The last instrumentalist played "Union - Concert Paraphrase on National Airs," an amazing piano medley of patriotic songs.

The concert paused again, this time to honor the outgoing board members with yellow long-stemmed roses. Finally, the Crimson Crooners, MIHNUET's vocal ensemble, performed ten numbers in the last segment of the concert. They soothed the audience with the standard "Shenandoah" and got everyone clapping with "Lean on Me." The upbeat "Freedom is Coming" was inspiring as always, while their final piece, "Top of the World," ended the concert on a literal and figurative high note. After a long final burst of applause, I pulled on my winter coat, still feeling the joyful pulse of the music.