A memorial concert honoring one of Wilkes University’s beloved music professors will be held this spring. Musical remembrances for professor emeritus, Steven Thomas, will take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 1 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 35 S. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre. The public is invited to attend and will be required to follow St. Stephen’s protocols for masking and social distancing.
The concert is a collaborative effort featuring the talents of the Arcadia Chorale, Lyric Consort, Arcadia Festival Players and Wilkes Division of Performing Arts. Highlights include a culminating performance of Wilkes students and alumni with members of these organizations featuring music that was meaningful to Dr. Thomas.
A passionate artist and cherished colleague, Dr. Thomas passed away from cancer on July 12, 2020. A public memorial was not held due to the global pandemic.
Dr. Thomas came to Wilkes University in 1999. In addition to his role as a faculty member and division chair, he also directed the University Chorus and the Chamber Singers. He sang tenor in the Lyric Consort, an eight-member professional a cappella ensemble, and prepared choruses for performances with a wide variety of ensembles and artists, including the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, the Hartford Symphony, the Boston Camerata and Dave Brubeck. He served as the Music Director of the Arcadia Chorale for 16 years.
In Aug. 2020, Dr. Thomas was the inaugural recipient of the Arthur J. Hoover Legacy Award. The University created the award to recognize the outstanding contributions of a member of the campus community whose career embodied the core values of Wilkes, and whose impact on the University and its students will endure through time. Wilkes posthumously conferred upon him the title of professor emeritus in Nov. 2020.
For more information about the memorial concert, contact the Arcadia Chorale at (570) 871- 0350 or contact@arcadiachorale.org.
