Centennial Celebrations Kick Off in Style

The first day of Duquesne’s annual Homecoming and Family Weekend concluded with a spectacular drone show presented by Pyrotechnico. The show featured a soundtrack composed entirely of music written by MPSOM composition students and alumni, bringing the school's musical talent to the skies above campus. A portion of the aerial display also paid special tribute to the MPSOM's 100th anniversary, recognizing a century of music at Duquesne.

Leading up to the weekend, the Music Technology department welcomed several accomplished alumni presenters back to campus to share their experiences and insights from careers in the music industry. Through master classes and informal discussions, these MPSOM graduates offered current students valuable perspectives on the industry, connecting classroom learning with real-world professional experience. Guest presenters included:

• Jim Anderson, GRAMMY Award Winning Audio Engineer (B.S. Music Education, 1973) & Ulrike Schwarz
• Melissa Black, WQED-FM Producer (B.A. Music Tech Concentration, 2025)
• Steve Blumenthal, Audio Director and Composer (B.M. Music Technology, 2010)
• Nicole Buckland, Touring Audio Tech (B.M. Music Technology, 2024)
• Mike Dorman, AV Systems Engineer (B.M. Music Technology, 2011)
• Dannon Johnson,  Producer/Engineer (B.M. Music Technology, 2024)
• Joe Passarelli, Production Director-Vanderbilt University, Blair School of Music (B.M. Music Technology, 2015)
• Laura Russak, Head of Audio Engineering at The Media Preserve (B.M. Music Technology, 2014)

These opportunities not only enriched the students' education but also highlighted the lasting connections between the school's alumni and the next generation of music professionals.

On Saturday, Jim Anderson presented a public master class exploring the evolution of recorded sound using an immersive audio system that will soon be permanently installed for MPSOM students. Temporarily set up for this special presentation, the system allowed attendees to experience an aural journey through recording history, beginning with monaural recordings developed for broadcast and progressing to modern immersive formats utilizing multiple speaker arrays. The demonstration highlighted both the remarkable advances in audio production and the educational opportunities the new system will provide for students.

Following Anderson’s master class, Dean David Allen Wehr and two MPSOM student ambassadors led the Duquesne University Pep Band through the Rally to Rooney parade along Academic Walk, proudly carrying a Centennial banner commemorating 100 years of music at Duquesne.

After the parade, alumni, students, faculty, and staff gathered in the music school lobby for a special Centennial reception. Guests enjoyed a live performance by a trio of musicians and were invited to sign a unique commemorative piano that will eventually become a permanent installation in the third-floor lobby outside the Dr. Thomas D. Pappert Center for Performance and Innovation.

Throughout the Centennial year, the piano will travel to additional special events, offering students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the school opportunities to add their signatures and leave a lasting mark on the MPSOM's history. After the celebration, the instrument will be sealed and permanently installed as a commemorative art piece. Though it will serve as a visual reminder of the school's milestone anniversary, the piano remains fully functional and will continue to be playable for years to come.

Among the reception's particularly memorable moments were several alumni discovering vinyl recordings on display that featured performances in which they had participated during their time at Duquesne. The discoveries sparked conversations, shared stories, and fond recollections, bringing the school's rich musical history to life through the memories of those who helped create it.

The celebration continued in PNC Recital Hall with the second installment of Brahms on the Bluff. Performed entirely by members of the MPSOM faculty, the program featured selections of Brahms' vocal music alongside two of his celebrated chamber works, the Clarinet Quintet in B Minor and the Piano Quintet in F Minor. The concert offered an opportunity to showcase the artistry of the school's distinguished faculty as part of the Centennial festivities.

Following the concert, Professors Emeriti Bill and Lynn Purse were officially inducted into the MPSOM's Music Technology Halls of Excellence, which recognizes individuals whose distinguished careers, achievements, and contributions have helped shape the Music Technology program and its legacy. As two of the founders of Duquesne's Music Technology program, the Purses played a significant role in shaping its educational offerings and preparing generations of students for careers in the music industry. Their induction provided a fitting conclusion to a weekend that celebrated both the school's history and its continuing evolution.

The weekend was filled with opportunities to reconnect with old friends, forge new relationships, revisit cherished memories, and create new ones. More than a celebration of the Mary Pappert School of Music's first 100 years, the festivities served as a reminder of the people, experiences, and shared passion for music that have shaped its history and will continue to define its future. As the Centennial celebration continues throughout the academic year, the MPSOM community looks forward to honoring that legacy while celebrating the possibilities of the next 100 years. You can help by supporting the students who will shape that future with a Centennial gift.