August 06, 2012
Rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm as neighbors from the areas
surrounding the Queens campus joined the St. John’s University
community for the 14th Annual Summer Concert. Settled comfortably
in The Little Theatre, the audience of nearly 500 guests enjoyed
the dramatic sounds of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, performed by
the Queens Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro
Constantine Kitsopoulos.
Photo gallery
Founded in 1953, the Queens Symphony Orchestra is
the borough’s only professional orchestra and the oldest and
largest professional arts organization in Queens. It is comprised
of professional, union musicians who also perform on Broadway, with
the New York City Ballet and other freelance orchestras.
The event was co-sponsored and received support from Coca-Cola, Con
Edison, the Dime Savings Bank and the Italian Cultural Center of
St. John’s.
Members of The Loughlin Society and The McCallen Society and their
guests began the evening with an exclusive wine tasting event,
hosted by Sal Diliberto of Diliberto Winery, one of Long Island’s
most popular wineries. This knowledgeable vintner provided a wealth
of information about the wines available for tasting, making the
experience even more enjoyable.
“The wine tasting was really nice,” said Lawrence J. Burke ’73Ed,
’77GEd. “In fact, we’re going out to Long Island to visit the
winery in a few weeks. We come to this event every year to support
the University and meet the people with whom we went to school and
may not have seen in many years. I was a Music major so the concert
is always a special treat for me.”
Alumni took advantage of the time leading up to the
opening notes to renew old friendships while enjoying the
traditional barbeque selections that are always a part of this
popular summer event. For many, attendance at the Summer Concert
has become a yearly activity, so it was not surprising that
conversations included frequent references to the past.
“As a member of The McCallen Society, I always go through the
calendar of activities as soon as it arrives, and it’s hard to pick
and choose because they all sound so wonderful,” remarked Anna
Maria Montuori ’68Ed, ’70GEd, ’82PD. “I’ve come to this concert
before, and I love the camaraderie of the St. John’s alumni. St.
John’s really knows how to throw a party, whether it’s a formal
affair or a barbeque. Every time I come here I try to bring one or
two friends who always seem to enjoy it as much as I do.”
For Joann Helen Navarra ’65Ed, ’66GEd, the concert was the deciding
factor that brought her back to campus after a lengthy absence. Not
knowing what to expect, she was amazed by the many transformations
that have occurred at the University since she was a student.
“I
wanted to come back to the campus,” she noted, “because I haven’t
been here for about 40 years. It’s very nice to be back, and I’m
really impressed with all of the changes on campus, especially the
many new buildings. I’ve never been to this concert, and I’m really
looking forward to it.”
Joining Navarra was Sharon Burns Perez ’72Ed, a fellow alumna from
St. John’s School of Education who has attended the concert in
previous years. Reflecting on how much she’s enjoyed them in the
past, Perez had a suggestion to offer regarding future alumni
activities.
“This is a lovely function,” she said. “I’ve been here before and I
love it. This is so much fun that they [St. John’s] should do
another concert in the winter.”