Afternoon Musical Showcase at Fall Schubertiade

Each semester, Thomas Aquinas College hosts a “Schubertiade,” a celebration of classical music and an opportunity for students to showcase their talents in front of their peers. Last Saturday, New England Choir Director Stephen Grimm led the event in Olivia Music Hall.

Upper and underclassmen displayed their musical abilities with pieces by Chopin, Mozart, Grieg, and, of course, Schubert. There were many piano sonatas and etudes, a violin concerto, and even a string quartet. Students sang arias from operas by Gounod, Donizetti, and Giordani, among others. Between each vocal performance Mr. Grimm offered a short description of the song’s meaning and the context from the opera’s plot. The two-and-a-half-hour event included 18 acts, leaving the audience spellbound.

“I was really nervous,” said Trinity Duggan (’24), who dazzled with her exhilarating performance of Son pochi fiori from Mascagni’s L’Amico Fritz. “But, after taking lessons with Mr. Grimm for a while, I finally decided I was going to get up there and do it!”