In their own words...
It’s difficult to choose a single memory. Certainly one of the happiest was the visit by the cellist Yo Yo Ma in the fall of 2000. He was the parent of two PA students, Nicholas and Emily.
William Thomas was then director of performance and, with his usual immense powers of persuasion, he arranged for Yo Yo Ma to give a concert in the chapel for the entire community. We must have broken all the fire regulations because the chapel was filled to the breaking point with students, faculty, staff, neighbors, parents, and seemingly all their friends and relations.
The music was glorious throughout, made all the more thrilling by the participation of the orchestra in the second half, including my daughter Sophia. I was fortunate enough to accompany one piece at the beginning, a musical memory that I will treasure for life.
Musically, I have had a special attachment in the past dozen years to my work with Fidelio choir. I will have so many memories of working with those wonderful singers, on tours here and abroad, and occasionally on stage in the Tang with dancers.
One unforgettable moment came on our 2013 tour to Spain. It had been arranged for us to sing for patients and staff of a hospital in Grenada. When we started singing in the front lobby, there was hardly anyone there at all, but within 10 minutes the place was jammed with more than 100 people, patients who had left their beds, nurses, and doctors. I have never witnessed a more appreciative audience in my life. They stamped, they cheered, they wanted more and more songs. The event had clearly made their day, but it also had a profound effect on some of our singers, who found the whole experience quite overwhelming. There was no doubting the power of music that day.