Tom Cimarusti, Ph.D., Program Coordinator and Professor of Music History, Florida Gulf Coast University
Writing from Rome to his sister Fanny, Felix Mendelssohn declared: “It is the jolliest piece I have ever written!” Discover the brilliance of Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4, the vibrant Italian Symphony, as Tom Cimarusti explores the inspiration behind its sun-drenched melodies, its lively rhythms and the cultural influences that shaped one of the most beloved works of the Romantic era. Join us for an enriching journey through music... and Italy!
A native of Los Angeles, Tom Cimarusti received his Ph.D. at Florida State University and is currently a professor of music history at Florida Gulf Coast University. Although his primary research interests include 18th- and 19th-century Italian opera and song, chamber music and the music of communal utopias, he also lectures on world music and is an avid accordionist. He has presented his research at conferences in Europe, Asia and the United States. He is currently working on an edition of hymns associated with the late 19th-century religious cult, the Koreshan Unity. He has been the recipient of numerous research grants and excellence-in-teaching awards. In 2016, he founded the Center for Public Musicology, an organization that provides lectures, demonstrations and performances at venues throughout Southwest Florida. He lives in Naples with his wife, Christy, and two boys, Paul and Christopher.
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