Dr. Boomgaarden Presents the Piano and Vocal Works of Beethoven and Boomgaarden
St. Joseph’s University, New York President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., hosted his annual spring recitals on the Long Island and Brooklyn Campuses on April 23 and April 28 respectively. This year’s performances highlighted the works of Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as President Boomgaarden’s own compositions inspired by the Viennese master.
The recitals were hosted in the Long Island Campus’ Muriel and Virginia Pless Center for Performing Arts and in the Brooklyn Campus’ Tuohy Hall Auditorium during Common Hour. Both audiences were comprised of students, faculty and staff, as well the local public and friends, family and colleagues of President Boomgaarden.
Included in this year’s performances were several of Beethoven’s most famous and beloved pieces including Für Elise, the Moonlight Sonata, Op. 27, No. 2, and two songs: Ich liebe dich and Andenken. In between pieces, President Boomgaarden provided historical context behind Beethoven’s works while also discussing his own compositional process.
Sharing the Stage
Sharing the stage with President Boomgaarden during both performances was Veronica Kaninska, M.S.Ed, CTRS, an accomplished soloist and senior teaching professor at SJNY in the Departments of Recreation and Leisure Studies, and Hospitality and Tourism Management. A multilingual vocalist, Professor Kaninska has appeared on various music stages throughout New York City including Carnegie’s Weill and Zankel Recital Halls.
On the Brooklyn Campus, President Boomgaarden and Professor Kaninska were joined by SJNY international student and this year’s Donald R. Boomgaarden Leadership in Action Award recipient Isa-Marie Kreuzinger ’26. Raised in Erfurt, Germany and attending St. Joseph’s to study psychology and economics, Kreuzinger took to the stage to recite the poems “Andenken” and “Ich liebe dich (Zärtliche Liebe)” in her native language.
A Tradition of Music and History
The Presidential Recital has become an annual tradition at St. Joseph’s University — an opportunity for audiences to explore the historical context behind some of history’s most classic and revered musical pieces.
Last year, President Boomgaarden centered on the piano and vocal works of Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, the Russian composer, virtuoso pianist and conductor.
SJNY President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D. is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and also studied at the University of Vienna, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. A concert pianist and country fiddler, Dr. Boomgaarden is also a noted historian of opera, music aesthetics and harmonic theory.
Photos from this Year’s Events
