A musical connoisseur and adept at playing the organ and piano, Fontana also holds degrees in musical composition. He takes a humble approach, however -- he claims that his talents are merely skills and that a degree in composition “with two dollars and a quarter will get you on the subway.”
Fontana, above all else, seeks to share his passion with the surrounding community. “I wanted to bring something to the neighborhood,” he said. “In order to hear musicians of this quality, you’d have to go either to downtown Brooklyn or into Manhattan. Most of these people have performed all over the world.”
Indeed, Marc Snyder, the master of the mischievous oboe and English horn, holds a doctorate from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, with performance credits at Carnegie Hall, with the Key West Symphony, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra and other prestigious venues and orchestras worldwide.
Andre Tarantiles, an “expert harpist” according to the New York Times and “expert virtuoso” according to the Newark Star Ledger, received his Master of Music degree with highest distinction as a student of Peter E. Eagle at the Indiana University School of Music. With performances all over the world, it’s easy to see why this former principal harpist for the Metropolitan Opera Guild is treasured as a captivating and inspirational musician.
“These are conservatory-trained musicians who come here because they love the room and they love the audiences,” said Fontana, a professor of musical history at St. Francis College. Many if his students were present at the performance, earnestly gathering information for an assignment.
Host to a kind heart as well as excellent ability, Tarantiles is also involved with MisionMusica (misionmusica.com), an all-volunteer organization that provides children of families in economic need in the Dominican Republic with musical instruments, lessons, supplies, repairs and access to conservatory instructors. He currently has some 300 violins in his house, waiting to be shipped.
. The organist is enthusiastic to stress that persons of all faiths are welcome, since he simply wants to bring beautiful music to everyone, with “no religious overtones.”
“It’s a great way to bring great music to a great building – to a great neighborhood,” he said. “There’s nothing like this anywhere else.
“I’ve always been a teacher, so this is just a way of teaching and bringing great music to people who would not normally be exposed to it.”
The final performance of the season will be Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” (Part 1), complete with a full orchestra and choir, at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13 at the church, 1950 Batchelder Street. For more information on the free concert, call 718-998-2800.
