A giant and a family member

Past and current Temple University Boyer College of Music Choral faculty members with Robert Page at an alumni event in 2014. (courtesy of Boyer College Alumni Association)

Last month, the choral world lost a giant, and my alma mater lost one of it's storied leaders. Robert Page was without a doubt the patriarch of the world of collegiate and professional choirs. In addition to his tenure in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, Page was the Director of Choral Activities at Temple University from 1956-1975. I only had occasion to meet him once at Temple University alumni event, and though later in life, he still seemed his fiery and candid self. His honest way of communicating, while off-putting to some
​was always a strength in my opinion as it made him

seem truly genuine, something I think his singers appreciated in him. You never had to guess where you stood with Robert Page, and the same was true when we encountered each other for the first time. Maestro Page was an integral part of building the choral program at the Boyer College of Music and for that I owe him a great debt of gratitude. As a dear friend and colleague, who was the first Robert Page Scholarship recipient said, "Robert Page has been released into the universe from his corporeal form, and I bet the chorus angelorum never sounded better."