Folsom Funeral Service

 – passed away on May 29, 2017 at the Tippett Home in Needham.  The son of Harold and Agnes (Mischke) Goepfert, Robert was born in New York City on Oct 30, 1935.  Between 1953 and 1957, he attended The Cooper Union (New York City) tuition free.  While at Cooper he also received both a New York State Regents Scholarship Award and the Emil Schweinburg Scholarship, graduating with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in 1957 and relocating to Boston.  After a decade in industry as an electrical engineer and consultant, Robert turned in earnest toward his first love: music.  He resumed both taking and giving private piano instruction and began performing in public in the Boston area.  In 1965, he successfully auditioned for admission to the New England Conservatory (NEC) as a full-fledged masters level piano performance major.  In 1967, Robert received a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance (MM) from the New England Conservatory of music where, in addition to tuition assistance, he won, upon graduation, the competitive Frank Huntington Beebe Award for European Study and Travel.  This award encouraged world-opening European explorations to be combined with such stay-in-place cultural enrichments as German and French language courses and the enriching experience of private piano study with Bruno Seidlhofer in Vienna and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. His education continued at Boston University where, in 1981, Robert was awarded a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance degree (DMA).  Beginning in 1968, Robert pursued an active academic and performing career at Anna Maria College.  Beginning as an Instructor in 1967, he rose through the ranks to Tenured Full Professor, ending as Artist-in-Residence in 2003.  He was the Head of the Department of Music for  total of 16 years.  Under his leadership the Department of Music at Anna Maria College became a Full Member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the first nationally accredited Music Therapy program in New England was established at Anna Maria College.  For many years, Robert also gave private piano instruction to students at Tufts University, Boston University, and at his home.  On the performance stage, Robert appeared dozens of times as a recitalist, concerto soloist, member of the duo-piano team Connors and Goepfert, chamber music pianist, and accompanist in such venues as Carnegie Recital Hall, Jordan Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, MIT’s Kresege Auditorium, Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum, and Worcester’s Mechanics Hall.  A couple of college-year stints as a band pianist in Catskill hotels helped to develop his “pop” music skills.  That was later an invaluable source of support during graduate studies.  There never any time conflicts between graduate studies and decently remunerated appearances as a lounge pianist.  Robert very much enjoyed socializing, good food, travel, gardening; and enjoying the richly varied musical and theatrical life in Boston were sources of great pleasure and fond memories.  Robert is survived by his companion, Donald Antonioli.  He also leaves the three offspring of his late sister, Claire (Goepfert) Randolph and their families: Edward and (daughter) Sue Perillo and their daughters, Anna and Marie; (son) Tom and Karen Randolph and their daughters, Diane and Susan, and (son) Ted and Judy Randolph and their son, John.  Burial is private.  Donations in Robert’s memory may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union, 211 Congress St., Boston, MA 02110.

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