Albany, NY - Frances Pallozzi Wittmann, vocal instructor and fixture in the University at Albany Department of Music and Theatre for the past 25 years, is celebrating this milestone as well as her retirement from the University in two very special, upcoming events.

 

On November 9th at 3:00pm in the Performing Arts Center Main Theatre, UAlbany alumni Melanie Shank (’12, ’22) and Josh Tanis (’13) will be presenting a song recital entitled, “More Than You Know.”   Two of the department’s many success stories, Melanie and Josh accepted this invitation to come back once again to where it all began.  The recital will celebrate fifteen years of friendship and music-making that began in Professor Wittmann’s vocal studio.  It is inspired by her popular Bach to Broadway concert series in which they both played an integral part during their undergrad years and will feature something for everyone–from Mozart arias to Broadway showtunes.  Melanie and Josh first met at UAlbany in Fall 2009, took advantage of everything the music department offered, and bonded over their double majors (Psychology and Voice for Melanie, Biology and Music for Josh). Their collaboration in Wittmann’s studio began in Spring 2010 and resulted in the discovery of many of their favorite vocal composers, many of whom are included on this recital. 

 

Currently, in addition to singing and performing, Melanie makes use of her other UAlbany degree - an  MBA (’22) - and is Associate Director, Financial Systems & NetSuite Administrator at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Josh is Aural Skills Coordinator and a joint faculty member in the Departments of Music Theory and Conducting at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance.

 

The second event is the student production of Bach to Broadway on Saturday, November 16th at 7:30pm in the Main Theatre.  The annual fall show is a favorite for the students and audiences alike and will be Wittmann’s final one after a 15 year run.  In this unique production, students perform staged versions of their song repertoire based on their individual interpretation of the piece.  Wittmann created this production for her students as a way for them to develop and explore their performing skills and to illustrate the idea that technical development of a voice and communicating through the voice is, in fact, an integrated process.

 

Concert repertoire includes music from the Classical favorites (“Bach”) of Bellini, Donaudy, Tosti, Strauss and Gordon;  as well as the Contemporary Commercial Music (“Broadway”) of Sondheim, Bernstein, Schwartz and Evans among others.

This year’s production is once again accompanied by pianist Trevor Kahlbaugh and features the following singers from Wittmann’s studio:

Noel Bond, Zoey Cahill, Sarah Faragon, Stellen Kariyakarawana, Bruce Konopa, Luke Korff, Katherine Long, Jara Manantan, Amanda Rogers, Catherine Semaska and Otto Vaval.

 

Alumni of the Music and Theatre Department and Vocal program are invited back to the University for one or both of these concerts and will be honored and celebrated at the events.