School of Music Guest Singer Damian Savarino in Concert on December 7
November 8, 2006
Damian Savarino is a talented and versatile performer. He has appeared throughout the country performing such roles as Zuniga in Carmen with Ithaca Opera Association, Guglielmo in Cosí Fan Tutte with Bay View Opera (MI), the Jailor in Tosca with Central City Opera, Étienne in Naughty Marietta, Pish-Tush in The Mikado, and Michael in I Do! I Do! with Light Opera Oklahoma. While at the Ohio Light Opera, he sang and recorded the roles Colonel Lester in Victor Herbert's Eileen and Lord Dramaleigh in Gilbert & Sullivan's Utopia Limited for the Newport Classic label as well as performed roles in Patience, Eduard Künneke's Der Vetter aus Dingsda, Romberg's New Moon, and Camelot. He recently sang the role of Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance with the Harrisburg Symphony where a critic commented, "Damian Savarino… contributed a rich voice and expert comic timing".
Recent concert performances include the bass-baritone solos in Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra/Symphonic Choir and the Choral Arts Society of Messiah College, Händel's Messiah and Mozart's Requiem with the Choral Arts Society of Messiah College, Aaron Copland's Old American Songs with the West Shore Symphony (PA), and Schubert's Mass in G, as well as several concerts of Bach and Händel with the Handel & Haydn Society of Boston.
In February of 2005 he was a finalist in the annual Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition where critics touted he "polished off Figaro's First Act aria in splendid voice" and he "proved to be a fine singer and excellent actor". From his recent performances in Camelot, a critic hailed him by saying "the songs of Camelot haven't sounded so sweet since Robert Goulet brought them to Broadway in 1960".
Mr. Savarino is also an active recitalist who recently performed Schubert's song cycle, Die Winterreise. He is a graduate of Ithaca College (NY) and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he worked and trained extensively with John Moriarty. He is currently on the voice faculty of Messiah College and resides in central Pennsylvania with his wife Tara and sons, Dominic and Luca.
Rebecca Wilt
Rebecca Wilt is receiving national and international recognition as a virtuoso collaborative pianist. In addition to performing with vocalists and instrumentalists on the concert stage, Ms. Wilt frequently gives workshops and master classes on topics involving coaching and accompanying and works as a vocal coach in both the opera and musical theatre idioms.
Rebecca has performed in collaboration with vocalists and instrumentalists in many of the world's greatest venues including: Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Banff Center for the Arts, Orchestra Hall (Chicago), St. Finbarr's Cathedral (Ireland), the Beijing Theatre, and the Muziekcentrum (the Netherlands).
Ms. Wilt can be heard on the compact disc, An American Portrait, with James Thompson, trumpet. Her second disc, Twas in the Moon of Wintertime, was released in October of 2005. Rebecca is also a member of the duo EQUINOX, with Denver Dill, which tours the United States several times a year, as well as appearances in Europe and Asia. The duo has commissioned numerous works for trumpet and piano and is dedicated to promoting music by composers of our time.
Formerly the head of accompanying at the Interlochen Arts Academy, and the director of the collaborative piano and vocal coaching program at Central Michigan University, Rebecca is now head of the piano and collaborative piano programs at Messiah College in Grantham, PA. Rebecca was also coordinator of accompanying at the Lake Placid International Music Seminars for flute, voice and trumpet in Lake Placid, New York. She has accompanied for the Ellsworth Smith International Trumpet Competition, the International Trumpet Guild Conference, the National Trumpet Competition, the ARTS competition, the International Trombone Association, the International Horn Society, the North American Saxophone Alliance, the Falcone International Tuba and Euphonium Competition, the Tromp Muziek Biennale, the International Women's Brass Conference, the Metropolitan Opera Regional Auditions and the American Choral Director's National Convention.
Rebecca currently resides in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area and is working with both The Harrisburg Singers and the Harrisburg Opera Association. She can be found on the web at www.rebeccawilt.net
For a complete listing of all concerts and recitals, please visit http://www.events.psu.edu and choose music performance events.
Contact: Candace Bishop cjb289@psu.edu