Our Story
Our unique experience with Umbria and, more specifically, the medieval hilltop town of Spoleto, home to the late Gian Carlo Menotti's Festival dei Due Mondi, started in the summer of 1983, as young performing artists and members of the world-renowned Westminster Choir, directed by Joseph Flummerfelt, who also served as Director of Choral Activities of this magnificent European festival. Little did we know we would experience life-changing rehearsals and performances that would transform us as singers, artists, and as people, while working with some of the world's top stage directors, conductors, and artists in memorable concerts and operatic productions.
Now, twenty-eight years after our first summer as festival participants in Spoleto, and as more seasoned professional singers, voice teachers and choral conductors, the dream that was manifested seven years ago by Holly Phares (Founder (Retired) & Former Artistic Director) and myself continues to bring together passionate choral enthusiasts seeking unique performing opportunities in an art-filled country such as Italy. Over the first six seasons of Umbrian Serenades, we have been able to share our "home away from home", and the rich cultural and artistic experiences we have enjoyed all these years, in a unique and life-changing choral and cultural program. It is with tremendous joy, as Umbrian Serenades enters its seventh season, that we continue to facilitate this experience for those who choose to join us on our adventure "serenading" the region of Umbria!
Umbria lies at the very core of the Italian peninsula, poetically known as "The Green Heart of Italy". Its lush and mountainous region remains almost secluded and somewhat unexplored by most travelers, who usually flock by "busloads" to neighboring Tuscany. Located less than two hours north of Rome, Umbria is the mystic home of St. Francis of Assisi, and is the perfect destination for discerning "off the beaten path" travelers with a love of art, nature, food and wine, and ultimately, those searching to experience the Italian "dolce vita".
I invite you to join me and our wonderful staff on a singing adventure of a lifetime in our mystical Umbria!
Paulo Faustini: Founder, Artistic & Administrative Director
PAULO FAUSTINI was born into an Italian-Brazilian family of church musicians, singers, and music teachers in São Paulo, Brazil, and has been a professional musician, conductor, singer and voice teacher for over 25 years. He maintains a private voice studio in Philadelphia, where he inspires singers from all walks of life to develop their craft, be it as soloists or ensemble performers. He has coached at the New York Festival of Song, Curtis Institute of Music, taught conducting and vocal technique master classes at the Sacred Music Society of Brazil; was voice faculty at Westminster Choir College and Westminster Conservatory, in Princeton, NJ, and artistic faculty of voice for the Hotchkiss Summer Portals Vocal Program in Lakeville, CT. He has performed and recorded with professional groups such as The New York Choral Artists at Lincoln Center, The Philadelphia Singers in Philadelphia, and for many years performed at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC, and Spoleto, Italy, as part of The Westminster Choir, and worked and performed with Joseph Jennings and members of CHANTICLEER at their workshop in Sonoma, CA. He holds a Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance with distinction as well as a Bachelor of Music in Church Music from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. For many years he performed, recorded and toured as a member of the world renowned Westminster Choir under Joseph Flummerfelt. In addition to devoting his life to the singing and choral art, Paulo is very passionate about wines, with a special affection towards the wines of Italy; in 2004 he received a certificate from The Wine School of Philadelphia, as well as attended many wine courses on Italian wines, and visited many wineries and wine bars throughout Umbria and Tuscany.
Pamela Simpson
Born into a family of teachers, ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR PAMELA SIMPSON has been singing, teaching, and conducting for over 25 years. As a member of the Spoleto Festival Choir for many summers, Spoleto holds a special place in Pam's heart. Pam joined the staff of Umbrian Serenades in 2008.
In her capacity as choral director and performing arts department leader at the Bronxville School (Westchester County, NY), Pam leads choruses that consistently receive gold ratings at state adjudications. In addition, she is a frequent choral clinician in the tri-state area.
Her prior teaching and conducting experience includes serving as the choral director at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights and the associate conductor of the Manhattan School of Music Festival Chorus in New York City.
Pam received her Bachelor's degree from Duquesne University and her Master's degree from Westminster Choir College. With the Westminster Symphonic Choir, Pam sang with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New Jersey Symphony under conductors Riccardo Muti, Kurt Masur, and the late Robert Shaw. Pam is certified in the Kodály method and received an advanced diploma from the Orff Institute, Salzburg, Austria, where she studied as a Fulbright Scholar.
Daniela Cittadoni
CULTURAL COORDINATOR DANIELA CITTADONI, along with her husband, Gianluca, head Tasting Travel, an Umbrian Tour company, located in Spoleto. Originally from Spoleto, these native Umbrians share a common joy for "the Green Heart of Italy". They fell in love with Umbria early in life and have been sharing their passion for all things "Umbrian" with people from around the globe for over a decade.
Daniela graduated as a Tour Operator and Guide from the prestigious tourism school of "Alberghiero di Spoleto". Gianluca worked for many years as an Umbrian olive oil broker and has traveled extensively around the Mediterranean region in search of the perfect olive oil. For many years they co-owned a handmade pasta business, sharing their passion for the art of traditional and fresh Umbrian pasta with the entire Spoletino-Umbrian region. Their unique and extensive experience in Umbria has been combined to create a wonderful team of travel professionals.
Daniela joins our staff again this year to insure our participants an exquisite and unique experience, as we explore the many "off the beaten path" cultural "tastings" throughout our time together as "serenaders" in this lush, rich, and exquisite region in central Italy.
JOSEPH FLUMMERFELT, Guest Artist Conductor
Musical America's 2004 Conductor of the Year, Joseph Flummerfelt's musical artistry has been acclaimed in many of the world's concert halls for nearly 40 years. He is founder and musical director of the New York Choral Artists, is an artistic director of Spoleto Festival USA, and for 33 years was conductor of the world-renown Westminster Choir.
A gifted orchestral conductor, Maestro Flummerfelt has conducted over 50 performances with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Italy and in the U.S. He has also appeared as guest conductor with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra, and the San Antonio and Phoenix Symphonies. In 1988 he made his New York Philharmonic debut with a performance of Haydn's Creation, and in 2001 he conducted the world premiere of Stephen Paulus' Voices of Light with the Philharmonic and the Westminster Choir.
For nearly four decades Maestro Flummerfelt has collaborated in the preparation of hundreds of choral/orchestral performances with such conductors as Abbado, Bernstein, Barenboim, Boulez, Chailly, Colin Davis, Giulini, Maazel, Masur, Mehta, Muti, Ozawa, Sawallisch, Shaw, Steinberg and many others.
Joseph Flummerfelt's Westminster Symphonic Choir and New York Choral artists have been featured in 45 recordings, including Britten's War Requiem and Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem and Schicksalslied with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic; Mahler's Symphony No. 2 and a Grammy Award-winning Mahler's Symphony No. 3 with Leonard Bernstein; Puccini's Tosca and Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra; Messiaen's Le Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jesus Christ with the National Symphony. His collaboration with Samuel Barber includes the Grammy Award-winning recording of the composer's opera, Anthony and Cleopatra. In 2004 his New York Choral Artists recording of John Adams' On the Transmigration of Souls was awarded three Grammys. Earlier he was nominated for the Westminster Choir's recording of the Haydn Lord Nelson Mass with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, and Berlioz's Romeo et Juliette with Riccardo Muti and the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Among the many recordings he has made with the Westminster Choir, his recent Delos recording of Brahms' choral works (Singing for Pleasure) was chosen by The New York Times as a favorite among all existing Brahms recordings. His 2004 recording with the choir, Heaven to Earth, has received high critical acclaim.
Widely known as a master teacher, Maestro Flummerfelt has long worked with both gifted students and established professionals in his classes and rehearsals at Westminster Choir College and in master classes in the United States and around the world. One of the consistent results of his passion for choral/orchestral music is the student-composed Westminster Symphonic Choir, an ensemble continually praised for its power of expression, colorful nuance, robust rhythmic intensity and elegant balance.
For 33 years, Joseph Flummerfelt served as artistic director and principal conductor of Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey - a position from which he retired in 2004. He has been director of choral activities for the Spoleto Festival U.S.A. in Charleston, South Carolina, since 1977 and for 23 years was the maestro del coro for the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy. He is chorus master for the New York Philharmonic, the founder and conductor of the New York Choral Artists, and former music director of Singing City in Philadelphia. In 1971, Maestro Flummerfelt began his choral collaboration with New York Philharmonic. From 1979 to 2001 both his Westminster Choir and New York Choral Artists were responsible for all of the orchestra's choral performances. Though now retired from Westminster Choir College, the New York Choral Artists continue to appear regularly with the orchestra and Flummerfelt continues to oversee the choral life of the New York Philharmonic.
In addition to his Grammy awards and nominations, Maestro Flummerfelt's many honors include Le Prix du President de la Republique from L'Academice du Disque Francais and four honorary doctoral degrees.
