Eric Adam Brudner graduated in 1984 after distinguishing himself as one of the finest students to pass through the Department of Music in recent memory. Eric was a talented pianist and composer. He was the founder and president of an active Departmental Undergraduate Group that enlivened the department and contributed ideas for curricular and extracurricular programs that have had a continuing impact on our offerings. While still an undergraduate, Eric was a busy professional, playing jazz in local clubs and successfully teaching piano to dozens of fellow students. He was awarded the Buxtehude and Arlan Coolidge Prizes in music in his junior and senior years respectively. Eric was a favorite of faculty and students alike. He brightened our classes and our lives with his effervescent good humor and quick wit, and he touched our hearts with his music. These annual concerts are dedicated to the memory of our student, friend, and family member in celebration of his talent and aspirations.

The Brudner Memorial Concerts have become an important tradition at Brown. They began in 1988 with a concert featuring compositions by Brown students and visiting composers. Members of the Brown Jazz Band were well represented in the first three concerts. In the inaugural Brudner Concert, Dan Seiden’s Eyes can not was performed by Dan (who sang and played guitar) along with Jon Feinberg (drums) and Ethan Basch (bass). The second and third concerts included original compositions performed by The Jazz Tarboosh (Don Katz, saxophone, Jon Schapiro, trumpet, Andy Woo, trombone, Steve Schenfeld, Joe Mulholland and Russ Faegenburg piano, Greg Levine, guitar, Mark Tourian, bass, Eric Levine and Chris Sbrollini, drums). Beginning in 1991, with the fourth Brudner Concert, world-renowned musicians have visited Brown and performed with Brown student musicians in successive Brudner Concerts.