To further their appreciation for “Carmen,” students in SPA405 will be treated to a performance of Habanera and the Card Aria from “Carmen” as well as “Maria de Buenos Aires” on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Montante Cultural Center at 2:45 PM. We open this event, hosted by the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and ArtsCanisius, to all campus community members. Our performers will be Suzanne Fatta, contralto and James Welch, piano.
Suzanne Fatta is a professional singer, model, scholar, producer, director, actress, author, entrepreneur, educator, mentor, arts administrator, lecturer, editor and diversity advocate based in Buffalo, NY. A Contralto, she sings Bass with the world-famous Vivaldi’s Women, and has appeared on Opera stages throughout Europe and North America. Both her father and brother are Canisius alumni, and she has taught in the Music and Religion departments as an Adjunct Professor. Suzanne also taught in the Music Department at Harvard University, where she won both a Fellowship and a Teaching Award of Excellence.
James Welch is known for his performances on three continents maintains his career as an active pianist and conductor. He was a prize winner in many piano competitions including the John Pierce Langs and the Bradshaw and Buono International. He has performed solo and lecturer recitals for the SUNY at Buffalo; the SUNY at Fredonia; Morgan State University; East Carolina University; Jamestown Community College; all throughout the Portland, OR area; Lucca, Italy; and festivals throughout southern France. His chamber music performances have been heard on the stages of the Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park with the Southwest String Quartet and a premiere performance with saxophonist Grant Larson of Philip Wharton’s Prohibition; the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society in Ontario with the Antero Winds; the Sydney Music Conservatorium in Sydney, Australia with soprano, Lianna Valente on the premiere performance of Dr. Timothy Brown’s Dreams Kept, Dreams Deferred; the many stages of the SUNY at Fredonia with various artists and repertoire including John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine Man and Lukas Foss’s Time Cycle; The Bop Stop in Cleveland, OH with The META Trio; stages along Italy’s Adriatic Coast with the Postacchini String Quartet; and his Carnegie Hall Debut in New York with violinist, Kaden Culp. His performances have been praised for his creative artistry by composers Lee Hoiby, John Corigliano, Eric Ewazen, Ian Clarke and Jason Robert Brown; to name a few. He has worked under the batons of Glen Cortese, Joann Falletta, William Weinert, Hugh Floyd, Joel Revzen, and Hans Schellevis. Additionally, he has played in workshops for William Eddins, Thomas Sauer, Renee Fleming, Giuseppe Sabatini, Victoria Clark, and Karen Akers. You can hear some of James’s performances with Jacob Swanson on their premiere recording titled, Invisible Cities.
James is the owner of Progressive Musicians; an organization dedicated to helping musicians of all ages achieve their goals and advance artistically. Being one of the first all online music competitions, the organization has received global press recognition on television and in print. In 2021 they were awarded for offering unique and innovative educational opportunities to musicians by the Global Forum of Education and Learning. Recent events include a recital at Carnegie Hall featuring all the winners from the online competitions held during the COVID shutdowns. Upcoming events include a Gala concert at Carnegie Hall, collaborations with Buffalo’s Alleyway Theatre on KRAGTAR: The American Monster Musical, and a new all-online beginning piano course.
For more information about this event, kindly email Dr. Margaret Stefanski at stefansm@canisius.edu
Submitted by: Yvonne K. Widenor, Assistant Professor and Program Director, Art History and Music Programs, MLLC Department, Director and Studio Art Galleries Director, ArtsCanisius
