As her retirement approaches, plans are underway to celebrate the 44-year career of Dr. Maxwell as Fairfield University conductor and director of choral music.
Director of Choral Activities Carole Ann Maxwell, DSM, P’02 will retire from Fairfield University at the end of the semester. In celebration of her illustrious career, current Glee Club members and 140 singing alumni will perform together in a special tribute concert conducted by Dr. Maxwell at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on Saturday, April 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available at quickcenter.com.
Dr. Maxwell and singers will be joined on the Quick Center stage by accompanist Beth Palmer and Festival Brass. The evening will begin with the Glee Club’s “Ticket to the World” program, featuring classical favorites and world music selections that traverse continents and transcend borders. After intermission, the singing alumni will join the current Glee Club to sing University songs and favorite pieces chosen by Carole Ann, in a musical send-off featuring more than 200 voices.
An award-winning conductor of collegiate, community, and professional choral ensembles, Dr. Maxwell began her Fairfield University career in 1980. For more than four decades, as director of the Glee Club, Chamber Singers, Women’s Chorale, and other ensembles, she has encouraged Fairfield singers to explore diverse styles of music and master challenging repertoires, resulting in acclaimed performances on campus, across the country, and around the world.
Fairfield University alumni, parents, and friends are encouraged to share their best wishes and appreciation for Dr. Maxwell by signing her virtual Kudoboard farewell card.
Additionally, all are invited to Bellarmine Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 5 for a cocktail reception in recognition of Dr. Maxwell’s retirement. Ticket proceeds from this event will benefit the Carole Ann Maxwell, DSM, Endowment for Choral Music, which enhances the student performing experience and provides vital resources to fund Glee Club awards for musical excellence, scholarships for members who experience financial hardship, and other performance-related expenses.
Dr. Maxwell’s final performances as Glee Club conductor will take place at a second “Ticket to the World” concert on April 13 at St. Joseph’s Church in Shelton, Conn., the annual Glee Club Pops concert on April 29 at the Quick Center, and at the Baccalaureate Mass and Undergraduate Commencement Exercises on May 18 and 19.
Effective July 1, 2024, Michael A. Ciavaglia ’04, DMA, will step into the roles of director of choral music and director of the Glee Club, and professor of the practice in music. An alumnus of Fairfield Dr. Ciavaglia received his doctor of musical arts degree from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He is co-director of the Music program in Fairfield’s College of Arts and Sciences, where he teaches music history and voice, and has been a regular guest conductor of the Glee Club since his time as a student.
Tickets for the Glee Club’s April 6 “Ticket to the World” Tribute Concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts are available online or by calling the Quick Center Box Office at 203-254-4010, Monday through Friday, from 12 to 5 p.m.
