The Department of Music and Dance provides studio space to a number of outstanding performers. These artists offer weekly lessons to Swarthmore students, most of whom receive subsidies of up to 100% from the Department to cover the cost of lessons. Swarthmore students can receive one half of a course credit per semester for taking private lessons. Here are a few of the artists who teach on campus: Piano: Marcantonio Barone Born in 1962, American pianist Marcantonio Barone made his debut at the age of ten at a Philadelphia Orchestra children's concert. He returned in 1990 as soloist with the Orchestra's subscription series under the direction of William Smith. He has also performed as soloist with the St. Louis Symphony, Houston Symphony, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, and Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, among others. He has collaborated with such eminent conductors as Sir Simon Rattle, Leon Fleisher, Arther Fiedler, and Barry Tuckwell. His recital engagements in America and abroad have included Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Metropolitan Musuem, and the National Gallery. A prize winner at both the 1985 Busoni and 1987 Leeds Competitions, Mr. Barone also won the 1996-7 Musical Fund Society Award. He performs chamber music frequently with the Lenape Chamber Ensemble, 1807 and Friends, Orchestra 2001, and many other groups. An active champion of New Music, he has given the world premiere performances of works by several distinguished composers, including George Rochberg, David Finko, and Gerald Levinson. In addition to his duties at Swarthmore, Mr. Barone is also on the faculty of the Bryn Mawr Conservatory, where he is head of the piano department.  Piano: Laurie Ticehurst Poole Laurie Ticehurst Poole, pianist and accompanist, graduated with honors from the University of Colorado with a B.Mus. and M. Mus. in piano performance. She continued her studies in the doctoral program at Peabody Conservatory with Leon Fleisher. She interrupted her doctoral studies to accept an assistant professorship in the music department at Iowa State University. There she expanded the piano department course offerings, initiated a weekly performance program, and toured the mid-western states with the Amati Trio. Prizes include the Paderewski Performance Award, the San Francisco Symphony Young Artist Award, and first place in the National Federation of Music Clubs Competition. She was pianist and artistic coordinator on the series BALLET IN COLOR (a synthesis of piano and electronic orchestration) for Educator Records. She is also teaches at the Bryn Mawr Conservatory and at Westtown School. Violin: Barbara Sonies Violinist Barbara Sonies has degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Julliard. Teachers have included Ivan Galamian, Paul Makanowitsky, Franco Gulli, and others. She has received various awards and made numerous solo appearances with the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Grant Park Symphony (Chicago), and others. Ms. Sonies has been a member of the Rochester Philharmonic, American Symphony, 20th Century Consort, and the Penn Contemporary Players, in addition to being a founding member of The Philadelphia Trio. With the Trio she has presented concerts and workshops in Europe and the U.S. and has done recordings as well as radio and television broadcasts. In addition to her work with the Trio she is currently concertmaster of the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Mozart Society of Philadelphia. She is on the faculty of Temple University and is co-director of Music in the Mountains, a chamber music camp for high school and college-age students in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania. French Horn: Michael Johns BM in Horn Performance from New England Conservatory. MM in Music History from Temple University. DMA in Horn Performance from Temple University. Director of Brass Ensembles at Temple University, Conductor of the Wind Ensemble at Swarthmore, member of the horn section of the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Philly Pops. Voice: Julian Rodescu In the 1999-2000 season, Julian Rodescu earned raves for his debuts in Madrid, Naples, Los Angeles, and Tel Aviv. "Julian Rodescu proved a perfect singer," wrote the Los Angeles Times of his singing with Simon Rattle and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Of his Madrid debut in Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mzensk with Mstislav Rostropovich, El Pais wrote "Special mention must be made of the basso profundo of Julian Rodescu, memorable as the High Priest, capturing tragic and comic at the same time, impreccable, beyond reproach." Mr. Rodescu made his La Scala debut in 1991 as Titurel in Parsifal, with Riccardo Muti conducting. In 1997 he sang Fafner in Siegfried also with Maestro Muti. Vienna's Die Presse wrote: "In Julian Rodescu we meet a profound Fafner, exemplary in each German word." Among important orchestra appearances, Mr. Rodescu has performed with Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Philadelphia Orchestra as well as Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony. He has also performed Mozart's Magic Flute, Verdi's Rigoletto and Aida, Bellini's Norma and I Puritani, Monteverdi's Orfeo, Berg's Lulu, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, and Mozart's Requiem. Vocal Coach: Deborah Scurto-Davis Pianist and coach Debra Scurto-Davis is a native of Newfoundland, Canada. Her educational credits include a Bachelor of Music Education from Evangel College and a Masters degree in piano performance from Baylor University. Mrs. Scurto-Davis studied with Martin Katz at the University of Michigan, receiving a Specialist Degree in vocal coaching and accompanying. From 1992 until 1994 she served as a staff pianist for the University of Michigan Opera Theatre productions as well as the music director of the Opera Workshop. She has worked as coach and rehearsal pianist for the Des Moines Metro Opera and Sylvan Opera. In addition to her work at Swarthmore, she is also currrently a vocal coach at Temple University. home | overview | concerts | facilities | faculty | students | courses | lessons | ensembles | audio clips | other resources | forms | prospective students Updated fall 2002