Lunch with Friends from across the Pacific

Earlier this week, The College of St. Scholastica welcomed the community to the Mitchell Auditorium for the latest installment of the Lunch with Friends series. This event features musicians from across the United States who offer free performances to the public during lunchtime. Each academic year, the series consists of four recitals, with two performances in the fall and two in the spring, designed to introduce attendees to new musical compositions.

“It was started by local pianist Theresa Vaughan as a way to introduce contemporary music in a more informal setting,” explained Dr. Jessica Schroeder, visiting assistant professor, to WDIO. “They are thirty-minute-long recitals at lunchtime, and the hope is for people to come, bring a sandwich and be introduced to some music that you maybe haven’t heard before.”

The Tuesday, Jan. 21, event was particularly special, as local musician Johanna Gruskin returned from New Zealand, where she has been working with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, to perform, including a rearrangement of Claire Cowan’s “The Stolen Stars of Matariki.”

The next performance in the Lunch with Friends series is scheduled for Tuesday, March 25, featuring soprano Jennifer Lien and pianist Lina Yoo-Min Lee. They will share highlights from their full recital, presented on Friday, March 28, on the Asian American lived experience, including three newly commissioned works. The event is free to the public, and attendees are encouraged to bring their lunches while enjoying an enriching musical experience.