Presidential Recital — Harmonies de France: A Celebration of the Music of Debussy and Fauré

April 9, 2024
12:40pm
Tuohy Hall, Auditorium

Donald R. Boomgaarden, President of St. Joseph’s University New York, will present a concert dedicated to the fabulous music of the French impressionist period. The event will feature famous piano works of Claude Debussy, including Clair de Lune and Rêverie, as well as several songs by Gabriel Fauré.

Dr. Boomgaarden will provide an historical background on the creation of these pieces of work while leading a discussion on their importance in the history of music. He will also discuss how the music of the French impressionists has influenced popular culture over the past century. Accomplished soprano, Veronica Kaninska, M.S.Ed., C.T.R.S., assistant teaching professor in Recreation and Leisure Studies and Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University, will join Dr. Boomgaarden during his performance.

President Boomgaarden has had a long career as a performing artist. While still a high school student, he studied with the Blaise Montandon at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. At Texas State University, he studied piano and composition with Russell Riepe, and later at the Eastman School with Ellen Martin and Thomas Donohue. He has performed at master classes with Gustav Leonhardt and Paul Badura-Skoda, and continues to perform frequently as a soloist and accompanist in Europe and the United States.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please email [email protected].