Concerts and Events

Music Calendar of Events 鈥 Spring 2025

Tuesday, January 28, 12pm

Bala Brass Quintet

Seelan Manickam & Mark Emery, trumpets

Marina Krickler, horn

Robert Hoveland, trombone

John Bottomley, tuba

Brooks Concert Hall

The award-winning Bala Chamber Brass presents a variety of original music for brass quintet, featuring both staples of the repertoire and lesser-known works. Pieces include Victor Ewald's Quintet No. 3, and works by Anthony Plog, Kevin McKee, and Canadian composer Ian McDougall.

 

Thursday, February 13, 3pm

Irish Music Concert

Irish Hour at Holy Cross, Worcester

Brooks Concert Hall

Diarmuid 脫 Meachair, button accordion & melodeon

Matt Mulqueen, piano.

 

The music of PJ Conlon 1920's New York and Joe Derrane, 1940's, Boston.

Peter Conlon, the king of the melodeon was Peter James 鈥淧J鈥 Conlon, an immigrant born in 1892 near Milltown, County Galway who recorded some fifty commercial recordings between 1917 and 1929. PJ鈥檚 eldest sister Mary Ellen also played the melodeon and recorded a 78 rpm disc of her own in 1923.

 

Conlon began his recording career playing a German-made instrument like that used by John Kimmel but later switched to a more powerful eight-voice accordion from Baldoni Bartoli, an Italian-American firm whose instruments became the preferred choice among Irish-American 鈥渂ox鈥 players. He played at a fast pace but always in complete control, and with a penchant for ornamentation and melodic variation. The Depression put an end to his recording career, but Conlon continued to perform in bars and dance halls. A benefit concert was organized for him in 1935 at the fiddler James Morrison鈥檚 Celtic Hall in west Harlem. Though he lived until 1967, Conlon was not musically active after 1951. His influence on later Irish players was immense and it could well be said that modern traditional Irish style on the button accordion started with P.J. Conlon.

 

Joe Derrane electrified the world of Irish music back in the late 1940s when as a high school senior he recorded eight solo 78-rpm shellac discs for Boston鈥檚 Copley Records on the D/C# two-row button accordion. Through his recordings and performances, this native Bostonian defined the state of the art in Irish-American button accordion playing.

 

The Boston-born son of Irish immigrants, Joe Derrane was among the finest button accordionists in the history of Irish music. He was also a somewhat elusive legend in the genre.

After recording during the 1940s and 鈥50s, he disappeared from the traditional music circuit for thirty-five years, popping up again in 1994 at the Irish Folk Festival at Wolf Trap. 

 

In 2004 Derrane received one of the highest honors for a traditional musician: the National Endowment for the Arts鈥 National Heritage Fellowship.

 

 

Tuesday, February 18, 7pm

Holy Cross Chapel Artist Series

Members of the Worcester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO)

Kristjon Imperio, Trisha Snyder and Jonathan Bezdegian

An exciting program performed by local organists. Works by Bach, Buxtehude and Mendelssohn

St. Joseph Memorial Chapel

 

Wednesday, February 19, 12pm

Lunchtime Concert

Selections of Light and Dark: the Evolution of the String Quartet

Emerson Lyons, violin

Emily Seiler, violin

Sergio Mu帽oz Leiva, viola

Julianna Stratton, cello

Beehive, PAC

This program includes the first movements of Hayden's "Sunrise" quartet, Mozart's "Dissonance" quartet, and Schubert's "Death and The Maiden" quartet.  These selections trace the evolution of the string quartet from Haydn鈥檚 radiant Classical ideals to the dramatic expressiveness of Schubert, demonstrating the development of the string quartet through the 18th and 19th centuries.

 

Tuesday, February 25, 4pm

 Form and Structure: Bach in the Gallery

Julianna Stratton, cello

Pietro Romussi, cello

Cantor Art Gallery, PAC

This immersive, intimate 30-minute concert features selections from Bach鈥檚 iconic Cello Suites, performed by cellists Pietro Romussi (Brooks Scholar 鈥27) and Julianna Stratton (鈥26). Set in the inspiring Cantor Gallery, this unique program weaves together the intricate beauty of Bach鈥檚 compositions with the mathematical elegance and harmony of the sculptures on display. Attendees are invited to move freely through the gallery, experiencing the music and art in perfect dialogue.

 

Wednesday, February 26, 8pm

Holy Cross Wind Ensemble & Orchestra concert

Luth Concert Hall, PAC

Video game music often transcends its digital origins, offering timeless themes and otherworldly places. On February 26th, The Holy Cross Wind Ensemble and Orchestra will present a joint concert featuring iconic melodies from the video game industry. This program will include classics like The Legend of Zelda, Halo, and Super Mario, along with selections from lesser-known titles. The performance will explore the deep connections between video game music and its classical and cinematic influences. Several pieces will be enhanced by multimedia displays, immersing the audience even further into the worlds of these games.

 

Tuesday, March 11, 7pm

Holy Cross Chapel Artist Series

Matthew Luca

Holy Cross Organ Scholar 鈥22

Rising star and soon to be Dr. Luca will perform a program with works by Buxtehude, Scheid, Bach and Reubke.

St. Joseph Memorial Chapel

 

Tuesday, March 25, 3pm

Irish Music Concert

Irish Hour at Holy Cross, Worcester

Brooks Concert Hall

Diarmuid 脫 Meachair, button accordion

Nathan Gourley, guitar

The music of the Dwyer family from The Beara Peninsula, West Cork, Ireland. 

The Dwyer brothers, John, Richard , Finbarr and Michael came from a musical family of nine children. Their father played the fiddle and their mother played accordion. Brothers Michael and Finbarr, who died in 1997 and 2014 respectively, were also musicians and composers, as is Richard who now lives in Ennis, Co. Clare.

 

Tuesday, March 25, 7pm

Holy Cross Chapel Artist Series

Gavin Klein Holy Cross Organ Scholar 鈥26

Holy Cross Organ Scholar 2026 will perform works by Buxtehude, Bach, Mendelssohn, and Reger.

St. Joseph Memorial Chapel

 

Wednesday, March 26, 12pm

Lunchtime Concert

Two piano Mini Extravaganza

Luth Concert Hall, PAC

This concert celebrates the two remarkable Steinway D pianos housed in Luth Concert Hall with performances by Music Department students and faculty.

 

Friday, March 28, 8pm

Sonya Ovrutsky Fensome

Piano recital

Luth Concert Hall, PAC

In this one-hour recital, pianist Sonya Ovrutsky Fensome invites you on a captivating journey through time and sound, exploring the evolution of The Prelude. From its origins as a simple introduction in Bach鈥檚 day, to the rich and varied forms it has taken across centuries, this intimate program weaves together history and music, illuminating the transformations of the prelude from the Baroque to the present. Through Sonya鈥檚 insightful commentary, you will be guided to a deeper, personal connection with the genre鈥檚 remarkable journey.

 

Saturday, March 29, 4pm

Holy Cross College Choir 

Luth Concert Hall, PAC

On Saturday, March 29, 4:00pm in the Prior Center for the Performing Arts鈥 Luth Concert Hall, College Choir will present a program inspired by Gerald Gould鈥檚 poem 鈥淲ander-Thirst,鈥 featuring a setting by Florence Price. The program explores themes and images present in the poetry pertaining to a thirst for adventure, beautiful landscapes, and personal transformation through the lens of choral music by 20th-century American composers. Celebrated selections include works by Moses Hogan, Rollo Dilworth, Margaret Bonds, and Morten Lauridsen.

 

Tuesday, April 1, 8pm

Brooks and Organ Scholars concert

St. Joseph Memorial Chapel & Brooks Concert Hall

The Brooks Scholarship is a four-year, full tuition scholarship offered to a music major or double major in music and another discipline. They demonstrate outstanding accomplishment in their area of musical study as well as significant academic achievement. The Department of Music is proud to present a concert featuring the Brooks Scholars, our most accomplished student artists.

 

Tuesday, April 8, 3pm

Irish Music Concert

Diarmuid 脫 Meachair & Friends

Diarmuid 脫 Meachair, button accordion & melodeon

Seamus Noonan, flute 

Joe de Georgeo, fiddle

Brooks Concert Hall

 

Tuesday, April 8, 8pm 

Piano Studio Recital

Brooks Concert Hall

Join us for an inspiring evening celebrating piano music! Experience a diverse repertoire performed by the talented students of the 乌鸦传媒's Piano Department.

 

Saturday, April 12 

Junior & Senior Recitals

12pm: Elliot Barron '25, percussion

2:00pm: John Mondi '25, guitar

4:00pm: Julianna Stratton '26, cello

Brooks Concert Hall

 

Sunday, April 13, 4pm

Holy Cross Chamber Singers

St. Joseph Memorial Chapel

Chamber Singers will present a program of music centered around Holy Week. Composers have been inspired throughout history by this most spiritually charged week in the Christian liturgical calendar. Musical selections reflect the solemnity and contemplation inspired by the biblical texts describing the events preceding the crucifixion and include settings of Miserere mei Deus, Ubi Caritas, Wondrous Love, Crucifixus, and the celebrated Easter Cantata by J.S. Bach, Christ lag in Todes Banden.

 

Monday, April 14, 5:30pm

Bala Brass Quartet

Luth Concert Hall, PAC

The award-winning Bala Chamber Brass presents their second concert of the season, featuring two new works for brass quintet by Holy Cross faculty composers Chris Arrell and Matthew Jaskot. Other pieces include Morley Calvert鈥檚 Suite from the Monteregian Hills, and Robert Bradshaw鈥檚 鈥淩ight Then. Same Time Tomorrow?鈥

 

 

Tuesday, April 15, 7pm

Holy Cross Chapel Artist Series

Jessica Nguyen Holy Cross Organ Scholar '28

Holy Cross Organ Scholar 2028 will perform her first recital at Holy Cross. Works by Da Grigny, Mendelssohn, Bohm and Bach.

St. Joseph Memorial Chapel

 

Wednesday, April 16, 12pm

Lunchtime Concert

The Late 20th Century Piano Music of Japan: Contrasts in Modern

Ulysses Loken, piano

Beehive, PAC

The Messiaen-influenced harmonic and gestural language of Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996) is set against the elegant modal counterpoint of Takashi Yoshimatsu (b. 1953), with influences of Bach, Satie, jazz, and progressive rock.

 

罢补办别尘颈迟蝉耻鈥檚&苍产蝉辫;Rain Tree Sketch (1982) and Rain Tree Sketch II 鈥 In Memoriam Olivier Messiaen (1992), written in his mature compositional language, melds western classical music with Japanese aesthetics and traditions. The concept of ma, of empty space, influences the structure and sound of these pieces.

 

Yoshimatsu describes the Pleiades Dances IV (1992) as 鈥渁 new form of preludes for the modern piano.鈥 This set is a study of pedal points, the subtle counterpoint dancing around the fixed notes.

 

Tuesday, April 22, 7pm

Holy Cross Chapel Artist Series

Loreto Aramendi, Organist Santa Maria del Coro, San Sebastian, Spain

Organist Santa Maria del Coro, San Sebastian, Spain

International renown organist Maestra Aramendi will perform her first recital on the Taylor and Boody organ at Holy Cross. Not to be missed.

St. Joseph Memorial Chapel

 

Wednesday, April 23, 8pm

Holy Cross Orchestra & College Choir

Academic Conference Concert

Luth Concert Hall, PAC

The Holy Cross Orchestra and College Choir will perform together at the Academic Conference concert. A highlight of the semester and not to be missed!

 

Friday, April 25, 4pm

End of Semester Student Recitals

Brooks Concert Hall

Music students who participated in the private lesson program perform the works they have studied during the semester.

 

Saturday, April 26 

Senior Recitals

12:00pm: Emmett Griffin, piano

2:00pm: Xinyang Zhang, piano

4:00pm: Nate Murray, tenor

Brooks Concert Hall

 

Saturday, April 26th at 7:30pm

Gamelan Gita Sari Concert

Luth Concert Hall, PAC

Under the direction of I Nyoman Catra, one of Bali鈥檚 most renowned master artists of traditional dance/theatre, our Balinese dance and Gamelan students collaborate with guest artists for this Spring concert.  It is always a highlight of our season and a treat for all ages.  The Balinese dance concert provides an opportunity for the community to experience the awe and wonder of the sacred art of Bali.

 

Sunday, April 27th

Senior Recitals

2:00pm: Ari Kiirikki, flute

4:00pm: Emerson Lyons, violin

Brooks Concert Hall

 

Tuesday, April 29, 12:40 pm

Holy Cross Chapel Artist Series

David Jonies, Director of Music and Organist - Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago

German organist David Jonies will present a program that includes works of Bach, Cabanilles and Widor.

St. Joseph Memorial Chapel

 

Tuesday, April 29, 8pm

Holy Cross Jazz Ensemble

Brooks Concert Hall 

The Holy Cross Jazz Ensemble will perform American Jazz standards under the direction of Mike Monaghan.

 

Thursday, May 1, 6pm

Chamber Music Recital

Brooks Concert Hall

Chamber music is played by small ensembles of two or more players such as duos, trios, quartets, etc., where every part is played by a single performer. Its intimate setting creates a process that is democratic, participative, and that through centuries has been compared to a conversation among friends. This recital features the students who participate in the Chamber Music course as they perform the works they have studied during the semester.

 

Saturday, May 3, 2pm

Fenwick Scholar 2025 Recital

Rhiannon Hurst

Luth Concert Hall, PAC

Rhiannon鈥檚 Fenwick Project 鈥淰anguard for a New Age: Artivism through Jazz鈥 aims to uplift the voices of women and nonbinary individuals throughout Jazz history. This recital will function as an actualization of her research, featuring jazz selections from the project album and will include reflections and songs performed during her musical journey here at HC. The concert aims to bring together a multigenerational, broad community through music. This performance will include her students from OpporTUNEiety (Lincoln St. Elementary), professionals from the Boston area, Holy Cross students, and Holy Cross faculty.

 

 

Sunday, May 4, 3pm

Holy Cross Wind Ensemble

Luth Concert Hall, PAC

The Holy Cross Wind Ensemble will present a concert showcasing new and diverse music for wind ensemble composed in the 2020s. The program will feature works that explore various genres and themes, highlighting underrepresented voices. Highlights include Before the Dawn by 14-year-old Liliana Alarcon, a mysterious and epic composition, and Golden Embers by deaf and neurodivergent composer Tyler Mazone. Additional pieces like Michaele Fern谩ndez鈥檚 vibrant La Fiera Asturiana and Satoshi Yagisawa鈥檚 lush Amaranthus further illustrate the exciting and diverse world of recent works for wind ensemble.

Monday, May 5, 6pm

The Seventh Annual Gregorian Vespers

St. Joseph Memorial Chapel

Monday, May 5, 2025 - 6 p.m

For its seventh year, the Chant class of Professor Daniel DiCenso, Department of Music,  will sing Gregorian Vespers under the direction of Laurence Rosania, Director of Liturgy and Music. Over 30 students will bring to life this ancient and haunting music in the majestic acoustics of

the Chapel during its 101st year! All are warmly invited to share in this evocative experience of sound and spirit.  

Admission is free.