Father Joseph Bronder, O.S.B., a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey, had a passion for music in all its dimensions. He began music lessons at the age of five. Some years later in 1972 he was awarded a master’s degree in piano at Yale University. He continued to study with the best concert pianists while giving at least 80 recitals during his performance years. Perhaps the highlight of his performances was to do Beethoven’s C Minor Piano Concerto, with orchestra under the direction of Richard Karp, founder and director of the Pittsburgh Opera.
While on the faculty and as chairman of the music department at Saint Vincent College, he taught countless young people how to play the piano, and particularly enjoyed their successes when they were able to play in recital every spring. In addition to performance and teaching, Father Joseph enjoyed directing choirs and choruses in the abbey, college, and with singers and players from local communities.
Father Joseph founded and administered the Saint Vincent Concert Series, treating audiences to first-class recitals and concerts at a high professional level. He was chair of the Department of Music, director of the Saint Vincent College Concert Series, director of the Department of Music concerts, the Saint Vincent Camerata, the Saint Vincent College Singers, the Saint Vincent College Troubadours and associate professor of piano. He performed over 80 piano recitals, conducted numerous choral performances, presented over 350 concerts in the Saint Vincent College Concert Series, and presented 40 student piano recitals.
Father Joseph was a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Society, the College Music Society, and the American Music Scholarship Association. He was a past adjudicator for the Carnegie Awards of Carnegie Mellon University.
He entered the Benedictine monastic community of Saint Vincent Archabbey in 1962. Father Joseph was ordained to the priesthood in 1969, and served on weekends in the parishes of Immaculate Conception Church in Irwin, Pennsylvania, Saint Anne’s Church in Wilpen, and Holy Trinity Church in Ligonier, Pennsylvania
Born in Pittsburgh in 1942, he attended Saint Joseph Mt. Oliver Grade School, and was a 1960 graduate of Saint Vincent Preparatory School. He received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from Saint Vincent College in 1965 and a master of divinity degree from Saint Vincent Seminary in 1969. He died Wednesday, November 5, 2008.