Recital marks European debut for voice instructor

Professor's personal and professional goals converge in Sicily

courtesy of Damian Savarino

Damian Savarino, senior lecturer in music (right), meets Salvatore Ciccotta—the main sponsor for Savarino’s concert performance in Sicily—on the Piazza in Campobello di Licata.

Traveling to his grandfather’s hometown in Sicily this summer, Damian Savarino, senior lecturer in music, presented a recital to a full house that included relatives he had only recently met. Organized by relatives in Italy and funded by an internal scholarship grant from Messiah College, Savarino’s trip included pedagogical research and a vocal performance in Campobello di Licata with his wife, Tara Savarino, a soprano and adjunct instructor in music, and Richard Roberson, pianist and dean of the School of the Arts. 

The audience was treated to over an hour and a half of repertoire, including American musical theatre pieces, German selections, and Italian songs both familiar and new. 

After the recital, listeners greeted the performers, shaking hands and pinching cheeks. Damian asked his uncle, “Did they like us?” Peppino Cammarata replied, “The fact that they stayed to talk to you afterwards meant that they really enjoyed what you were doing.”