Thomas Witakowski
B.F.A. in Music Education, SUNY Buffalo
M.M., Indiana University, Bloomington
D.M.A., Indiana University, Bloomington
Thomas Witakowski is a native of Buffalo who returned to Western New York to join the Buffalo State College faculty after teaching in Ohio. Witakowski serves as the Vocal Coordinator of the Music Program and the Director of the Buffalo State College Chorale and Chamber Choir.
Dr. Witakowski studied conducting at Indiana University with Robert Porco and Jan Harrington, early music performance practice with Thomas Binkley and Stanley Ritchie, and voice with Nicolo Rossi-Lemeni. While at Indiana, he served as opera chorusmaster, undergraduate conducting instructor, and assistant to the Pro Arte Early Music Ensemble. He sang several leading roles with the Indiana Opera Theatre, including Alberich in Wagner's "Das Rheingold," Nick Shadow in Stravinsky's "The Rake's Progress," and Bottom in Britten's "A Midsummer Night's Eve." As a graduate student he was awarded an Exchange Fellowship to study at Warsaw University for a full year in order to complete research on his dissertation, "The Choral Music of Karol Szymanowski."
At Buffalo State College, Dr. Witakowski has led the choral ensembles on three highly successful European tours to Spain, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Poland. The latest tour, in 2005, included a performance of Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" with the Prague Philharmonic and other touring university choirs. Dr. Witakowski has also recently led the Buffalo State College Choral Ensembles in performances of Mozart's "Requiem," Scarlatti's oratorio "Davidis Pugna et Victoria," Haydn's "Lord Nelson Mass," Arvo Part's "an den wassern Babylon," Gorecki's "Totus tuus," Ives' "The Celestial Country," Rutter's "Requiem" and "Magnificat," and several Bach cantatas, as well as very many other smaller chamber works and choral pieces in various contemporary styles.
Dr. Witakowski also teaches studio voice and presents recitals both at Buffalo State College and in the Western New York Community. He also teaches courses in choral conducting, aural perception, theory, and arranging. He recently was the bass soloist for performances of Rossini's "Stabat Mater" and Faure's "Requiem" with area choral ensembles.
In 2004, Dr. Witakowski was elected the National Director of the 137-year-old Polish Singers Alliance of America, a union of the leading Polish ethnic choirs of the United States and Canada. He also conducts the 108-year-old Chopin Singing Society of Buffalo and serves as the organist and choir director of St. Casimir's Church in Buffalo.
