The Franklin College Music Department, in collaboration with the Franklin Symphonic Council, is proud to present the first annual Patricia Stevens Distinguished Artist Series from March 8-10 on the Franklin College campus.

The series is possible thanks to a grant presented to the college from the Franklin Symphonic Council in 2021. It is named in honor of the late Patricia Stevens, a long-time member of the Franklin Symphonic Council and wife of emeritus professor of economics at Franklin College John Stevens. Each year, the grant will fund a guest artist at the college who will teach master classes to students, engage with the community and perform a free public concert.

The artist chosen to be the first guest artist is Dr. Dana Lynn Varga, soprano. Dr. Varga is a member of the voice faculty at Longy School of Music at Bard College in Boston, Ma. She is a professional opera singer and career coach and founder and CEO of The Empowered Musician, an organization dedicated to helping musicians find their place in the music industry by guiding them toward their own unique definition of success.

The public is invited to attend the following free events during Varga’s visit to Franklin College:

• Wednesday, March 8, 5-7 p.m., “The Many Paths to a Career in Music, Lecture and Q&A.”
• Thursday, March 9, 6 p.m., Guest Artist Recital. Chang Shen, Franklin College Music Department Accompanist, will accompany Varga on piano.
• Friday, March 10, 5-7 p.m., Vocal Masterclass.

All of the events will take place in Custer Theatre, located on the first floor of Old Main.

“As president of the Franklin Symphonic Council and director of the voice studio at Franklin College, it is a thrill for me to be able to launch the Patricia Steven Distinguished Artist Series by bringing Dr. Dana Lynn Varga to our campus,” said Eric DeForest, DMA, assistant professor of music. “Dr. Varga will be engaging with our students for three days, providing her extensive knowledge of vocal pedagogy, performance techniques and career coaching. It will be an incredible experience for our students and community to have a chance to interact with Dr. Varga, who possesses a unique blend of skills as a professional singer, internationally acclaimed voice teacher and entrepreneur. It is my sincere hope that the student musicians in our community, as well as the community at large, will come and experience these amazing free events. I know it will be an experience no one will forget.”

For more information, contact the Franklin College Office of Communications at (317) 738-8185.

POSTED Mar 2, 2023