Saint Meinrad Archabbey Cultural Events will present “A Little Night of Mozart” on September 6, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. Central Time in St. Bede Theater. This concert will be performed by Saint Meinrad’s Arete Orchestra.
The Arete Orchestra is an ensemble of some of the most accomplished and respected musicians across the United States, including Aaron Kaplan, as the program conductor, and Dr. Margaret Marco, as an oboe soloist.
The compositions to be performed will include Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K.525, Oboe Concerto in C Major, K.314, and Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K.201.
Kaplan is a Chicago-based conductor, cellist, and music educator. He is the artistic director and conductor of the JAM Orchestra, conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra for the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras, the Preludio Orchestra and Cello Choir at Music Institute of Chicago, and is the assistant director of the Chicago Suzuki Institute. He also teaches orchestra and AP Music Theory at Glenbrook North and South High Schools.
As a cellist, Kaplan is a member of Sinfonia da Camera and the Heartland Festival Orchestra. He has also performed with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Quad City Symphony, and Illinois Symphony Orchestra. He earned a bachelor’s degree in cello performance and music education from University of Illinois and a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
Dr. Marco is professor of oboe at the University of Kansas School of Music and principal oboist of the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. She began her professional career as the principal oboist of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Maracaibo in Venezuela. Since then, her many solo, chamber, and orchestral performances have taken her to a variety of prestigious international venues in locations such as Japan, Costa Rica, England, Canada, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, and China.
A strong advocate for new music for her instrument, Dr. Marco has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mu Phi Epsilon and the University of Kansas to perform and record new chamber works by American composers.
She holds degrees from Northwestern University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Illinois.
The word “Arete,” rooted in ancient Greek, encapsulates the ideals of excellence and moral virtue; values that resonate powerfully through the Arete Orchestra’s performances and the enduring legacy of the artists involved.
The program is free, open to the public, and no registration is required. Parking is available in the Guest House and student parking lots. For more information, contact Krista Hall during business hours at 812-357-6501. For updates on the day of the performance, call 812-357-6611.