Le Moyne College Calendar

The Le Moyne College music program kicks off its Guest Artist Series for the 2018-2019 season with a double feature. Pianist Andrew Russo and mezzo-soprano Danan Tsan will perform a variety of rousing 19th and 20th century music, with selections including Balakirev’s Oriental Fantasy, Variations on Bizet’s Carmen, Barber’s Hermit Songs, art songs by Fauré and Wolf, and more. Tsan will be accompanied by pianist Sar-Shalom Strong and joined by soprano Tracy Ganem-Lake.

Both Russo and Tsan are adjunct instructors at Le Moyne College, in finance and music, respectively. Russo was previously employed as artist-in-residence of the music program from 2005 until 2010 and Tsan is the director of the Le Moyne College Singers and Chamber Singers. The music program is excited to feature both of these extremely talented individuals on the same program for what is promised to be an excellent evening of music.

This concert is the first of five Guest Artist Series performances scheduled for the 2018-2019 academic year. The series was created to bring world class musicians and performances to the Le Moyne campus and community

Tickets: $20 general public, $15 senior citizens, $5 students and Le Moyne community members. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (315) 445-4200 or visit lemoyne.edu/vpa.

About the artists:
Danan Tsan is a versatile performer with a background in classical singing. Tsan has appeared with Syracuse Opera as Charlotte in A Little Night Music and Aldonza/Dulcinea in Man of La Mancha, Oswego Opera as The Mother in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors and Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Baldwinsville Theatre Guild as Fantine in Les Misérables, and the Society for New Music as Matilda Joslyn Gage in Vehar’s Pushed Aside, the role of Sorcerer, in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and as Daughter, in Michael Torke’s Strawberry Fields.

Tsan has been featured with Symphoria, The Buffalo Philharmonic Pops Orchestra, The Cincinnati Pops, and The Naples Pops Orchestra with conductor Erich Kunzel. She continues to be featured on recital and cabaret series around Central New York, including the OASIS series and the Utica College Jackson Lunch Hour Series. She holds degrees from Southern Methodist University and The Eastman School of Music and has many original pop songs featured in films in America and Japan. Tsan’s voice has been featured on many other songs for films, including King Lee (CinemaNational), Chillicothe (Blue Yonder Films), and 95ers: ECHOES (Durham Films). Additionally, Tsan has recorded an album with songwriter and collaborator, James Durham, under the name of Aeolian May. While living in New York City, Tsan was in the ensemble for Timmy the Great with Savion Glover, lead her own award-winning band (Top 25 albums of 2007 Indie-Music.com), and sang back-up for Chris Isaak and Wynona Judd.

Tsan lives in Syracuse with her husband and three children. She is a visiting assistant professor and director of choral activities at Hamilton College and the director of the Le Moyne College Singers and Chamber Singers.

Andrew C. Russo is known for the diversity of his interests and experiences, whether it is business, music or politics. A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Russo is a graduate of The Juilliard School, and pursued post-graduate studies in Leipzig and Paris with pianist/alternative pedagogue Frederic Chiu. Russo’s early career was spent as an advocate of American composers and American music. He has performed in many of the world’s cultural capitals – Paris, London, Moscow, Rome, Brussels, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Buenos Aires, and more.

His appearance as a finalist in the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition drew attention, when he became the first pianist to perform a significant work using alternative techniques requiring the inside and frame of the piano as well as the keys. He was featured in Peter Rosen’s internationally broadcast documentary Playing on the Edge not long after the competition and was profiled in New York Times writer James Barron’s book The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand.

With 12 commercial recordings, the highlight of Russo’s recording career was a 2007 Grammy nomination for his Black Box Records release of music by John Corigliano. His video of Jacob TV’s The Body of Your Dreams became popular on YouTube and was broadcast on Dutch television. Russo’s most recent recording on Naxos features new works of Aaron Kernis, including Three Flavors for piano and orchestra, premiered with David Alan Miller leading the Albany Symphony Orchestra.

Currently, Russo is a financial consultant in the Syracuse, N.Y., market as well as an adjunct instructor of finance at Le Moyne College. Russo continues to perform as a recitalist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician, with several appearances this season. He lives in Skaneateles, N.Y., with his wife, Natalia, and their children, Andrei and Mila.