The DePaul School of Music will present the annual McGuckin Harpsichord Recital concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, in the DePaul Concert Hall, 800 W. Belden Ave., Chicago. This is the ninth year that the school has produced this unique event, which is made possible through the generous support of alumna Marie McGuckin.

The concert, which includes works by Rameau, Scarlatti and Bach, will be followed by a reception. Both events are free and open to the public. Noted harpsichordist Wendy Young will be featured and she will be joined by the DePaul Baroque Ensemble for a performance of Bach’s Concerto in D Major. The Baroque Ensemble consists of School of Music students who have an interest in music of the Baroque period and is directed by faculty member Roger Goodman. 

“This wonderful event brings a world-class harpsichord specialist to DePaul each year to perform for the community and our students on an extraordinary double-manual Flemish-style instrument that was built for DePaul a number of years ago by master craftsman Willard Martin,” said Don Casey, dean of DePaul School of Music. “For those who love harpsichord and the Baroque music that often employs it, this event is a must-see.”

Young, has performed at many of America’s major concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and The Kennedy Center, as well as at the Oregon Bach Festival, the Marlboro Music Festival and the Spoleto Festival in Italy. Young strives to stretch the limits of the harpsichord and can be heard on a recording with the Art Farmer Trio playing jazz versions of the Bach Brandenburg Concerti. She also performed on the soundtrack for the film “Interview with the Vampire.” She holds a masters degree in harpsichord performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and currently teaches harpsichord at Princeton University.

Marie McGuckin established the recital series in 2000 with a donation of the double-manual harpsichord in honor of her late husband, Charles. Marie is a 1964 graduate of DePaul School of Music, and Charles was a 1956 alumnus of DePaul’s School of Education and a former Chicago Public Schools principal. The harpsichord was unveiled at an inaugural concert in April 2001.

DePaul University School of Music, founded in 1912, is dedicated to excellence in music performance and teaching. The school offers high-caliber, challenging programs in performance, composition, music education, jazz studies, performing arts management and sound recording technology. The more than 110 faculty members at the School of Music bring a wealth of knowledge and professional music experience to their teaching.  Faculty members perform in many of Chicago’s renowned music organizations, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Chamber Musicians and Grant Park Symphony Orchestra. Additional information about DePaul School of Music and its concerts is available at http://music.depaul.edu. For more information, call 773-325-7260.