25th Annual Great Lawn Summer Concert Returns to St. John’s University Featuring the Richmond County Symphony Orchestra

For Immediate Release: July 9, 2025                    
Media Contact: James Stephen Smith, 718-990-5789 (o), 516-313-4568 (m)
[email protected]
Director of Media Relations

Queens, NY (July 9, 2025) – St. John’s University will celebrate a quarter-century of music under the stars when the Queens, NY, campus hosts the annual Great Lawn Summer Concert on Wednesday, August 6, from 7 to 9 p.m.

The 25th annual concert features a collection of masterpieces from the works of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as performed by the Richmond County Orchestra (RCO). It also includes a special performance by students from the Virtuoso Suzuki Academy of Mineola, NY. 

“The Richmond County Orchestra is excited to perform at St. John’s University again and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Summer Concert on the Great Lawn,” said Maestro Alan Aurelia, who will conduct the orchestra. RCO made its St. John’s debut last year in a special summer performance.

Guests should enter Gate 8 at Utopia Parkway and 82nd Avenue before the 7 p.m. start and bring chairs and blankets. The concert will move indoors to The Little Theatre on campus in the event of inclement weather.

The event supports Hearts on Fire: The Campaign for St. John’s, a bold initiative to strengthen the University through student scholarships, academic excellence, and capital improvements.

St. John’s alumni are invited to attend a preconcert barbecue featuring delicious summer food, wine, and beer. Tickets for the alumni barbecue are priced at $30 per person and are free for St. John’s Loughlin and McCallen society members. Preregistration is required for the alumni barbecue.

“For 25 years, St. John’s Summer Concert has brought together alumni and the local community on our Great Lawn, together with a rich and diverse lineup of concerts and operas,” said Paul Lazauskas ’01CCPS, ’08MBA, Associate Director, Office of Alumni Relations. “We are proud to celebrate this milestone with the Richmond County Orchestra. It promises to be a memorable evening of music and St. John’s spirit, all supporting our Hearts on Fire campaign.” 

For more information about the summer concert, contact Mr. Lazauskas at 718-990-1912 or [email protected]. 

For media inquiries, please contact the University’s Office of Media Relations at 718-990-1621; [email protected].
 

WHAT:  St. John’s University 25th annual Summer Concert, featuring the Richmond County Orchestra
WHEN:  Wednesday, August 6, at 7 p.m.
WHERE:  Great Lawn, St. John’s University’s Queens Campus, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Jamaica, NY
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About St. John’s University:
St. John’s University is a private, coeducational, Roman Catholic University founded in 1870 by the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians), with its main campus located in Queens, NY. St. John’s University also has campuses and locations in Manhattan, NY; Rome, Italy; Paris, France; and Limerick, Ireland. 

St. John’s University is comprised of six Schools and Colleges, including the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business (including the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science), The School of Education, and the School of Law. 

As of Fall 2024, the University has more than 1,400 full-time and part-time faculty; almost 16,000 undergraduate students; and 3,749 graduate students from 45 states (and Washington, DC, and US Virgin Islands) and 122 countries. St. John’s offers more than 200 undergraduate and graduate programs, including 16 doctoral programs

About the Richmond County Orchestra:
The Richmond County Orchestra is a nonprofit professional symphony orchestra based in Staten Island, NY. RCO has entertained audiences in the New York metropolitan area since 1998 and has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the St. George Theatre, and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden. 

RCO provides free educational outreach and concert tickets to students and children. In addition, RCO musicians provide inspiration and mentorship to young musicians through its Side-by-Side program, which was established in 2008 by Maestro Aurelia and musician Ray Scro with funding from New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs and the City Council. It features several weeks of instruction with a culminating performance, at no cost to the students or partner schools. Participating schools have included Curtis High School, Robert F. Wagner Middle School, and Stuyvesant High School.