PR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2025 Boulder, Colorado
Early Music Specialist Suzanne Fatta is appointed to Board of Directors of multiple EMA-winning grant group Seicento Baroque Ensemble
Early Musician, Singer, Musicologist and Arts Administrator Suzanne Fatta of Buffalo, NY was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Seicento Baroque Ensemble in Boulder, Colorado shortly before their exciting and innovative concert series “Renaissance Women” coming this April 25-27. Founded in 2011 by Artistic Director Emerita Evanne Browne, Seicento is a semi-professional auditioned chamber choir, Seicento Baroque Ensemble performs choral-orchestral works, chamber music, and choral literature from the Renaissance, Baroque, and beyond. Our professional orchestra, soloists, and semi-professional choir champion historically-informed performance practice on period instruments. Seicento Baroque Ensemble endeavors to perform music by underrepresented composers and literature that has fallen into obscurity, as well as major works by composers such as Bach and Handel.
Artistic Director Dr. Coreen Duffy is a respected figure in the world of choral music, recently appointed the conductor of the CU Chamber Singers, and supervises graduate student conductors of Festival Chorus at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Duffy holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Music from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
With her extensive background in choral music, her innovative approach to choral direction and a refreshed Board, Dr. Duffy fosters a dynamic and inclusive musical community. The purpose of Seicento is to educate, inspire and foster music appreciation through historically informed performance of Baroque chamber music, emphasizing education about the Baroque period; its history, music and performance practices, composers and compositions, and how it remains vibrant and relevant today. Seicento concerts and pre-concert talks offer a more in-depth look at the highlighted composers and instruments, and incorporate creative connections such as baroque artwork and history. Seicento prides itself on the excellence and artistry of its performances and its performers. Seicento Baroque Ensemble is a proud recipient of grants and funding from Early Music America, Boulder County Arts Alliance, Colorado Creative Industries, and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.
Suzanne Fatta continues to be one of the most in-demand arts professionals in Western New York since she returned to Buffalo in 2012 after studying Historical Performance Practice for 5 years in England. As a very low Contralto, Suzanne sings Bass with the world-famous Vivaldi’s Women choir (dir. Richard Vendome) in Oxford UK, and pioneers the use of low female voices in opera often taking lead Baritone roles in Baroque operas. Harvard-educated, her Lecture-Recitals (selected by OPERA America as one of the top 15 National Opera Week 2014 events in the nation) are sell-out WNY audience favorites. Suzanne is the Founder and Director of The Women of Vivaldi, the only dedicated early music vocal ensemble in WNY, and one of the few true all female choirs – including female Tenors, Baritones and Basses – in the country. She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Pavana Early Music Trio, consisting of voice and historical plucked & strummed instruments made by her husband Master Luthier Daniel Yost, the NYS Chapter Head for the Lute Society of America.
Ms. Fatta’s operatic roles, consort work and solos have taken her around North America and Europe, performing on top stages in the US, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Malta and more. She is a featured singer in the documentary “Peter Ackroyd’s Venice” for SkyArts TV across Europe. As an Arts Administrator, Ms. Fatta is on the Board of Seicento Baroque Ensemble, Managing Director of Nickel City Opera, and sits on Committees at both the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Board of Vivaldi’s Women. She is a former Co-Chair of the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions for the Buffalo/ Toronto Region, Student Representative of the UK Royal Musical Association, Board of Directors at Nickel City Opera, and Strategic Planning Committee at Vocalis Chamber Choir.
Ms. Fatta holds a dual Bachelors with double Honors in Musicology & Vocal Performance, and Religion, from Oberlin College & Conservatory of Music, and trained at the doctoral level in Historical Performance Practice at the Eastman School of Music and the University of York (UK). In addition, she has a Masters in Medieval Studies from Harvard University, where she won a university-wide Teaching Award of Distinction for a Music Department course on Jazz, and held Research, Editorial and Personal Assistantships with the Chair of the Harvard Music Department. She taught in the Music and Religion Departments at Canisius University as well.
Recent engagements include Live on Stage: A Medieval Valentine by Pavana for PBS Buffalo/ Toronto Public Media WNED; Bach’s Birthday Bonanza with The Women of Vivaldi in Kleinhans Music Hall for the BPO; the Tenor and Alto solos in Bach Weihnachtsoratorium; headlining the three-part Vivaldi WinterFest with Music Niagara; The Rochester Early Music Festival; and the Fredonia Bach & Beyond Baroque Music Festival. Her trio Pavana is a frequent guest at ArtsCanisius of Canisius University, and offers workshops for children in early music and instrument making. Suzanne had the privilege of singing the Tenor solos in the only official 400th anniversary concert of Monteverdi Vespers (1610) in The Frari Church, Venice; September 2010.
Contacts: Suzanne Fatta www.suzannefatta.com
Seicento Baroque Ensemble www.seicentobaroque.org, music@seicento.org
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Keywords: Baroque, Baroque music, Board, Board of Directors, Suzanne Fatta, early music, Seicento Baroque Ensemble, Vivaldi’s Women, The Women of Vivaldi, Pavana, Pavana Early Music Trio, Seicento, Boulder CO, Coreen Duffy, Colorado Arts, Early Music America, Boulder County Arts Alliance, Colorado Creative Industries, Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Buffalo NY, Daniel Yost
