Savanna Sokolnicki
Assistant Professor, Classical Voice
College of Music & Performing Arts
Biography
Dr. Savanna Sokolnicki is a sought-after singer, vocal instructor, stage director, lecturer, and language expert. Currently an Assistant Professor in Classical Voice at Belmont University, Dr. Sokolnicki also serves as the director of the opera at Belmont. Dr. Sokolnicki’s students have seen success in vocal competitions, summer programs, and performances all over the world.
Dr. Sokolnicki is a versatile performing artist whose repertoire encompasses everything from bel canto and romantic operatic repertoire to cutting-edge contemporary works. Recent career highlights include a series of commercial performances in association with the Chicago Lyric Opera Building, as well as performances with the Nashville Opera in their outreach productions, “Opera on Wheels,” as well as in productions of “Il Pagliacci,” “Les contes d’Hoffmann,” and “Amahl and the Night Visitors.” Other notable performances include the world premiere of Ron Beckett’s “The Wide Waters” with Arcady Opera, collaborations with the renowned Canadian York Symphony Orchestra, performances of Alessandro Melani’s Concerto for Trumpet and Soprano, and the Brahms Requiem. Sokolnicki also has performing credits in the role of Mrs. Peachum in Street Theatre Company’s production of Threepenny Opera, Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera (UK Opera Theatre), Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni (Opera in Orvieto), Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette (UK Opera Theatre), Lily in Eastman Opera Theatre’s production of The Secret Garden, Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos (Eastman Opera Theatre), Freulein Schneider in Cabaret (Eastman Opera Theatre), Olga in The Merry Widow (Eastman Opera Theatre), and Adele in Die Fledermaus (AIMS in Graz).
Dr. Sokolnicki holds the D.M.A degree from the University of Kentucky and her dissertation is entitled Gretchen's Soliloquy "Ach Neige Du Schmerzenreiche" from Goethe's Faust: A vocal performance analysis and set of performance guidelines for various solo voice settings. She also holds a Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY and completed her undergraduate work at Eastman, as well, receiving a Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice Performance.