Photo By: Paige Acevedo
August 8, 2025
St. John’s University celebrated a quarter-century of music under the stars on Wednesday, August 6, when the Queens, NY, campus hosted the annual Great Lawn Summer Concert.
A tradition among alumni, faculty, administrators, and members of the Queens community, the 25th annual concert featured a selection of masterpieces from the works of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as performed by the Richmond County Orchestra (RCO).
Mother Nature did her best to cooperate. A light drizzle delayed the start of the performance by 40 minutes. The performance was shortened when the rain returned, but even that failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the evening.
“I love classical music, and I love coming back to St. John’s,” said Phyllis Concilio ’67Ed, of Glen Head, NY, a member of The Loughlin Society. “It is such a beautiful campus, and the people here are wonderful.”
The 70-piece RCO made its St. John’s debut last year in a special summer performance. Its 2025 return was greeted with enthusiasm, from its opening number on Wednesday—Tchaikovsky’s Polonaise from Eugene Onegin—to its conclusion after 9 p.m.
In between, the nonprofit professional orchestra, based on Staten Island, NY, delighted concertgoers with its own take on timeless classics, including selections from Swan Lake. RCO has entertained audiences in the New York metropolitan area since 1998, performing in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the St. George Theatre, and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.
“We always enjoy performing for St John’s University audiences; for 25 years we performed at the Staten Island campus,” said Maestro Alan Aurelia, in his 27th year as RCO conductor. “We are excited to come to Queens to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the summer concert on the Great Lawn.”
The Great Lawn Summer Concert is an opportunity for St. John’s to open its doors to members of the Queens community eager to listen to classical sounds in an idyllic setting on the Great Lawn. Since 1998, concerts have been held annually, except during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The evening, sponsored by the Office of Alumni Relations, supported 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, including Loughlin and McCallen society members, were invited to a preconcert barbecue adjacent to the Great Lawn. Loughlin and McCallen society members are among the University’s most supportive donors, whose contributions advance scholarships, University enhancements, and the facilities upgrades needed to ensure student success.
“St. John’s has been in my family for years,” Loughlin Society member Jack Kowalski ’76CBA, ’83MBA, of Forest Hills, NY. said. “We love the Vincentian values it espouses. I have had a successful career, and much of it has to do with St. John’s.”
“It’s such a joy to be back on the campus,” McCallen Society member Dorothea T. Page ’85CBA, of Wantagh, NY, added. “As a student, St. John’s won my heart. I always love the people I meet when I go to a St. John’s event.”
Paul Lazauskas ’01CCPS, ’08MBA, Associate Director, Office of Alumni Relations, noted the concert’s anniversary and the diverse lineup of performers it has brought to the Queens campus.
“For 25 years, the 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,” he said. “We are proud to celebrate this memorable evening of music and St. John’s spirit with the Richmond County Orchestra, all supporting our Hearts on Fire campaign.”