Prolific Composer and Alfred Music Editor John O'Reilly Speaks to SUNY Potsdam Master's Graduates

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John S. O’Reilly ’62, the retired executive vice president and senior editor for Alfred Music, will be the keynote speaker for the 2014 SUNY Potsdam Master’s Commencement Ceremony.

POTSDAM, NY (05/09/2014)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam will welcome a distinguished alumnus to the stage as the keynote speaker for the 2014 Master's Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 17. John S. O'Reilly '62, the retired executive vice president and senior editor for Alfred Music, will be presented with an Honorary Doctor of Music degree before he addresses the Class of 2014 at his alma mater next weekend.

Few people have had as profound of an impact on the music education curriculum and repertoire worldwide as John S. O'Reilly. As a student at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, O'Reilly majored in music education and studied percussion, as well as music composition, working with Robert Washburn and Art Frackenpohl. After graduating with his bachelor's degree in 1962, he went on to graduate studies at Columbia University, where he was awarded a master's degree in composition and theory. Bringing his passion for music to the classroom, he taught for 10 years at East Meadow Public Schools, and then at Nassau Community College, from 1968 to 1974.

Having gained an appreciation for music education at all levels, O'Reilly moved on to a career in publishing. Through his career at Alfred Music, the worldwide leader in educational music publishing, O'Reilly became one of the most-performed composers of band music in the world today. He retired in 2008 as the executive vice president and senior editor. The volume and quality of his work is astounding: O'Reilly has more than 400 compositions and arrangements to his name, across every orchestral instrument, spanning many styles and all levels of difficulty. He has garnered over 40 awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

An in-demand educational clinician and conductor, O'Reilly has been invited to conduct 16 All-State Bands and has led numerous presentations and guest conducting assignments nationally and internationally. He is one of only 300 people in the world to be offered membership in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.

O'Reilly is the co-author of the influential books, "Yamaha Band Student," "Strictly Strings" and "Accent on Achievement," the latter of which has been used by an incredible 13 million young musicians around the world, making it one of the most popular education methods for bands.

O'Reilly has remained a loyal and generous friend of SUNY Potsdam and The Crane School of Music, often returning to campus to offer guest lectures and conduct. He has been a frequent visitor to music business classes and regularly worked with Crane performing ensembles. In addition, O'Reilly has donated copies of many of his compositions to the Crane Music Library. In recognition of his professional achievements, the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association honored him with the Minerva Award in 2007.

O'Reilly lives in Pacific Palisades, Calif., with his wife, Judith Schorge O'Reilly '62, and they spend their summers near their alma mater, in Hannawa Falls, N.Y.

During Commencement weekend, SUNY Potsdam will recognize the more than 1,100 students have who either completed their degree or were eligible to graduate between December 2013 and December 2014.

The 2014 Master's Commencement Ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 17 in the Helen M. Hosmer Concert Hall at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music. More than 150 graduate students are expected to cross the stage and receive their hood at the ceremony.

To learn more about Commencement at SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/commencement.

Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,300 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community recently launched Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which aims to raise $27 million by the College's bicentennial in 2016.

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