When James Agolia accompanies the cast of the St. Aidan Summer Stage cast in “South Pacific” on piano this weekend, he’ll be doing something he thoroughly enjoys: sharing his affinity for music with an audience.
The musical is the third St. Aidan summer musical this year’s Chaminade High School valedictorian has been the accompanist for, and he plans to minor in music when he starts attending Princeton University this fall.
“What I like most about playing is that there are so many beautiful pieces of music that are written. Whether it’s “South Pacific” or Chopin or Beethoven, when you really play them well, it makes a connection with other people and brightens up people’s day,” he said. “It brings to life a piece of music someone wrote a long time ago.”
Agolia is also an accomplished vocalist, having attained all-state and all-national status as a tenor in the mixed chorus at Chaminade for the past two years. He was also president of the school’s elite Gold Glee Club in his senior year after being a member throughout his years there.
“My dad started me with piano lessons and it took off from there. Music had always been a part of my life and I couldn’t imagine my life without it,” he said.
Beyond his passion for music, Agolia has a passion to help others. That’s why he’s decided to pursue a career in medicine, with plans to major in microbiology at Princeton.
“There are few jobs that can directly help people as much as a doctor’s job can. And I really like that aspect of it,” Agolia said.
He clearly has an aptitude for science, garnering Science Olympiad Awards, an internal Chaminade competition, in each year of high school and Envirothon Awards, in an interscholastic team competition, during all four years of high school as well.
He’s also a French language scholar, ranking ninth in the nation and seventh in the country in the national French competition this year.
Apart from his scholastic abilities, Agolia’s public service sensibilities evolved through his participation in the Chaminade Emmaus Society. Emmaus members seek to emulate the example of Jesus in demonstrating their commitment to their faith by helping others, and Agolia said that played a significant role in his choice of profession.
As an Emmaus member, Agolia made frequent visits to the Queen of Peace Nursing Home in Queens Village as a volunteer helping the elderly residents who live there. The selfless work the Litttle Sisters of the Poor do there in caring for the residents profoundly impressed him.
“It’s just an amazing place. A lot of times when you’re helping other people out, you’re thinking of yourself. When you look at the sisters at the Queen of Peace, it’s pretty obvious they have so much joy in doing things for others. I’d really like to have the joy that the Little Sisters of the Poor have,” Agolia said.
In his senior year at Chaminade, Emmaus faculty moderator Brother Peter Heiskell nominated Agolia for the Good Deed Award from the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Committee for Long Island. He was among a number of students selected by Rabbi Achelle Perl of Chabad of Mineola to receive the award.
Agolia also received the man of the year award as the most outstanding member of Chaminade’s graduating class.
Outside of school, Agolia is active in his home parish of St. William the Abbot in Massapequa, where he’s a member of the choir, the bell choir, an altar server and a lector.
Running, cycling, and hiking are among his favorite pastimes, along with singing and playing piano.
He has spent the summer before he leaves for college indulging his love of music playing the piano for “South Pacific,” which Agolia said is “definitely the best score I’ve ever played.”
He particularly likes the role of accompanist because he enjoys contributing to a collective musical effort.
“Playing for musicals is always a lot of fun. Not only to you get yourself improved, but you get the whole show start out as nothing, but by the end of the show, you have a finished production,” he said. “You’re part of a team. It’s not just you. You’re contributing to the whole musical.”
Whatever his future holds in the medical field, Agolia can’t imagine his interest in playing piano ever waning.
“I don’t think I’ll ever stop playing,” he said.
