Lyric coloratura soprano and St. Paul’s Vocal Artist in Residence, Katy Shackleton Williams will present a recital of sacred and secular vocal music at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 24, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Mt. Lebanon, according to Douglas Starr, D.M.A., Director of Music and Arts at the Mt. Lebanon congregation. Ms. Williams has been serving with St. Paul’s Chancel Choir since January, where she also has been coaching voice students, noted Dr. Starr.
“Katy Williams is one of the region’s finest sopranos,” said Dr. Starr. “Her presence at St. Paul’s enriches our worship and helps to extend our artistic mission into the Pittsburgh community.”
Ms. Williams will be presenting a program of selections that includes sacred works by Franz Schubert, and art songs by such noted composers as Claude Debussy and arias by Giovanni Rossini. She will be assisted by Tommy Thompson, clarinet; Alexandra Thompson, cello; and other musical guests. A reception hosted by the church’s Friends of Music will follow. Donations at the door will go toward the Choral Scholar Fund.
A featured soloist for the Pittsburgh Symphony Holiday Pops concert series in 2002, 2004 and 2006, Ms. Williams made her Pittsburgh Symphony debut in 2005 in Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has continued to gain local popularity with her involvement in the Mendelssohn Choir, Pittsburgh Symphony, River City Brass Band and Pittsburgh Opera.
Ms. Williams was a soloist in Howard Shore’s Heinz Hall performance of The Lord of the Rings, and has performed with the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, S.C. Notable solo engagements include performances of the Bernstein Chichester Psalms, Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem, Handel Messiah and Bach St. John’s Passion.
Currently, she is a member of the professional core for the Mendelssohn Choir, chorister in Pittsburgh Opera and serves on the music staff at Washington and Jefferson College. She is a soprano soloist at Rodef Shalom Congregation, Oakland. Ms. Williams is an honors graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Vocal Performance.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is located at 1066 Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon. For more information and a schedule of services, visit the church Web site at http://www.stpaulspgh.org.