Thank you, muchísimas gracias.
I am so honored to accept this award on behalf of the University at Albany.
I would like to thank my dear friend and colleague, José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, as well as the entire Albany Pro Musica community, including the leadership, artists, board members, and supporters, for this honor.
I am also grateful to my colleagues and friends Jeannette Altarriba, Dean of the UAlbany College of Arts & Sciences, and Elga Wulfert, Distinguished Service Professor of Psychology, who both serve on the Albany Pro Musica board and are co-chairs of tonight’s event.
I am also delighted to see my good friend Marion Terenzio, President of SUNY Cobleskill, who is also the incoming Chair of Albany Pro Musica’s board….you are in very good hands.
And I am so pleased to be joined tonight by many members of the UAlbany team, including our Vice President for Communications and Marketing, Melissa Connolly; Vice President for Advancement Fardin Sanai; my Chief of Staff, Claudia Hernández; Dr. Andy Berglund, Director of our RNA Institute, among others, as well as my wonderful wife of almost 40 years, Rosy.
This award is named for a transformational UAlbany leader, former President Karen Hitchcock.
During her nine years leading UAlbany, President Hitchcock shepherded the university into a new era. She made significant investments in the campus’s physical footprint, academic offerings, and research profile.
Through her work, President Hitchcock expanded our reputation regionally, nationally, and internationally, cementing UAlbany as a leading public research university.
She was a patron of the arts and a steadfast supporter of Albany Pro Musica.
The University at Albany, the city of Albany, and the Capital Region are more vibrant communities thanks to her enduring contributions.
I am so proud that UAlbany has continued her legacy of support for Albany Pro Musica’s impactful work.
Since its founding in 1981 by UAlbany Distinguished Professor David Griggs-Janower, Albany Pro Musica has had an artistic and academic home at UAlbany.
Our university and this choral ensemble have grown and evolved together, as partners.
Today, our partnership is flourishing.
The University at Albany is a proud supporter of Albany Pro Musica’s High School Choral Festival and International Choral Festival. These events provide critical opportunities for young people to develop their musical skills and their love for performance.
The International Choral Festival, in particular, is a perfect complement to UAlbany’s mission to educate engaged global citizens.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, UAlbany’s New York State Writers Institute partnered with Albany Pro Musica to host virtual concerts.
These programs are not just important because of the musical lessons they provide young people. They are also a critical part of the work Albany Pro Musica does to promote artistic excellence, access to the arts, and a rich cultural life in our community.
Cultural institutions like Albany Pro Musica have an important economic impact, bringing people into the city and helping to build the Capital Region into a cultural hub.
But their impact is so much greater than dollars and cents.
Cultural institutions breathe life into a city. They help us understand ourselves and each other. Through communal experiences, like musical performances, we see and appreciate each other’s humanity. They inspire us and rejuvenate us in the midst of a challenging world.
The arts, just as much as science and technology, can help us see the world in new ways and envision new futures.
The contributions of both the University at Albany and Albany Pro Musica are critical to the future health and success of our city, our region, and our world.
Institutions like ours are essential to a functional democratic society.
Together, we are enriching lives, building knowledge and community, and providing a guiding light toward a brighter future.
We cannot, and we will not, stop our work. We must strive, with great resolve, to continue to improve our society and to educate engaged global citizens who will transform the world for the better.
On behalf of the University at Albany, I am so grateful for the decades of partnership between our organizations.
Together, we will continue to improve and enrich our community.
Thank you, Albany Pro Musica, thank you Maestro, and thank you all for this tremendous honor.
Muchísimas gracias and Go Great Danes!