Leadership

Michael Fabiano (he/him) is one of the world’s most celebrated opera singers, an accomplished entrepreneur, and an advocate for arts education. Over the course of his career, he has sung in 76 cities, in 26 countries, and on 89 of the most renowned stages, including The Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Teatro Real de Madrid, The Royal Opera Covent Garden, and Sydney Opera. He is the recipient of the industry’s most prestigious awards, including the Richard Tucker Award and the Beverly Sills Artist Award, and is a Grand Prize winner from the Gerda Lissner Foundation and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In addition to his prolific performance career and commitment to ArtSmart, Mr. Fabiano is also Chief Strategy Officer for Resonance, a BizOps platform which combines powerful software solutions to allow businesses to streamline administration and operations, manage people, and maintain business partnerships. Mr. Fabiano is a native of Montclair, New Jersey and holds degrees from the University of Michigan and the Academy of Vocal Arts. michaelfabianotenor.com

John Viscardi (he/him) is an operatic tenor and non-profit leader. Motivated by a profound belief in the power of music to transform lives and uplift societies, Mr. Viscardi serves as the Managing Director of ArtSmart and Executive Director of Classic Lyric Arts, a non-profit organization that provides training programs for pre-professional classical singers and pianists. As a tenor, Mr. Viscardi is sought after globally for his interpretation of classic and modern operatic works, having appeared in both recital and concert at venues that include Carnegie Hall (New York), Geffen Hall (New York), Tokyo Opera City (Tokyo), Verizon Hall (Philadelphia) and Avery Fisher Hall (New York). Mr. Viscardi serves on the board of directors of the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and is an Artist Fellow with the Philadelphia Center of Psychoanalysis. He holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Fine Arts from New York University and is a graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts. johnviscardi.com

Kelly Clarke is a mezzo-soprano and passionate advocate for music education. As an artist, Ms. Clarke was most recently seen on the stages of San Francisco Opera and other major venues across the United States. As an educator, she has served ArtSmart as a mentor in San Francisco and as a teaching artist for the San Francisco Opera Guild. Ms. Clarke saw the absolute joy and impact music education had on her mentees in the ArtSmart program. She brings this same passion to her position as Board Member, helping secure corporate sponsorship, cultivating donors, and overseeing event management to drive ArtSmart’s mission and expand its impact on students and communities. Clarke holds both a Professional Studies Diploma and Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from Mannes College of Music and a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from SUNY Purchase.

Dr. Marvin Vernell Curtis is an esteemed composer, educator and community leader. He made history as the first and only African American composer commissioned to write a choral work for a Presidential Inauguration, “City On The Hill,” which was performed during President William Clinton’s Inaugural Ceremony, accompanied by the United States Marine Band. He was also the first African American Dean of Indiana University South Bend, where he led the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts from 2008-2020. 3 Dr. Curtis holds several prominent positions in the South Bend community. He is the President of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra’s Board of Directors and also chairs its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. He is President of The St. Joseph County Library, UZIMA! Drum and Dance!, and 100 Black Men of Greater South Bend. He serves on the boards of The Morris Performing Arts Center, The Fischoff National Chamber Music Association, and the South Bend Museum of Art. He also serves on the Board of Trustees at North Park University. Dr. Curtis has served as the National Scholarship Chair for The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. and as a member of the Executive Committee for the Congressional Black Caucus 21st Leadership Institute.

Anthony Fabiano has over 35 years of manufacturing experience in high technology companies and over 20 years of senior management experience. In his 10-year tenure as President and CEO of American Science and Engineering (NASDAQ-ASEI), the company gained recognition in Boston Globe’s Top “100”, Forbes’ Top “200” Small Cap Companies, and Fortune’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies. Notable former leadership positions include President and Chief Operations Officer of Minneapolis-based Despatch Industries, a leading designer and manufacturer of thermal processing equipment and Vice President of Defense Systems Operations at Alliant Techsystems, a Fortune 500 aerospace and defense company. Mr. Fabiano was co-founder and formerly Chairman of the Board of Gulf Shore Opera and currently serves as consultant to the Board of Savit Corporation, an engineering company in northern New Jersey. He also consults with public and private companies on corporate turnarounds, strategic planning, and the implementation of business plans and strategies. Mr. Fabiano received a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University.

Liz Letak is Senior Manager of Legal Business Services at Deloitte. She was formerly Managing Director of the 50-person consulting group for Xact Data Discovery. Prior to Xact, Liz served as General Counsel for an international pharmaceutical and consumer products company. Liz has over 10 years of legal experience including operations, corporate compliance, and intellectual property. Liz has held in-house roles in insurance, healthcare, and technology. In addition to serving on ArtSmart’s Board of Directors, she also sits on the board of Utah Women in Sales. Liz attended the University of Connecticut School of Law and holds degrees in Political Science, Religious Studies, and Mandarin Chinese from College of the Holy Cross.

Dr. George Shirley, Chairman of the Board is a grammy-award winning American tenor and music educator whose trailblazing career has paved the way for generations of African-American opera singers. Dr. Shirley was the first African-American to be appointed to a high school teaching post in music in Detroit, the first African-American member of the United States Army Chorus in Washington, D.C., the first African-American singer to win the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (1961), and the first African-American tenor to sing leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera. One of his greatest honors came in 2015 when he was bestowed with the National Medal of the Arts by former US President Barack Obama. He is also the recipient of the National Opera Association’s 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2019 William Warfield Legacy Award for his dedication to the advancement of African American classical vocalists. Dr. Shirley previously served on the faculty of the University of Maryland and is a Distinguished Professor of Music at University of Michigan.

Dr. Louise Toppin has received critical acclaim for her operatic, orchestral, oratorio and recital performances world-wide and is a champion of African American music. She has recorded more than eighteen compact disks of primarily American Music songs and has edited and published eight anthologies and collections of songs by African American composers. As a scholar, she has lectured widely on the music of African American composers and hosts the radio series Conversations in African American Music. Toppin is the co-founder and director of the George Shirley Vocal Competition, which focuses exclusively on African American art song, and of Videmus, a non-profit organization that promotes the concert repertoire of African American and women composers. She is also the founder of the African Diaspora Music Project, a research tool for the repertoire of African Diaspora composers. Previously, Dr. Toppin was the Distinguished University Professor of Music and Chair of the Department of Music at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She currently holds a University Diversity and Social Transformation Professorship and is Professor of Music (Voice) at The University of Michigan. She is a board member for Opera Ebony, the Denyce Graves Foundation Educational committee, and the Hampsong Foundation.

Lilian C. Tsai negotiates commercial deals and advises global business units as an in-house corporate attorney at Oracle. She studied communications and political science at the University of California, Berkeley and earned a JD at American University’s Washington College of Law. Lilian grew up playing violin, piano and flute, and credits her paternal aunt and uncle, who were subscribers at San Francisco Opera for 30+ years, for her love of opera. Lilian serves as the board secretary for the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Historical Society, the board secretary for the Hawaii Chamber Music Festival, a board member for ODC Dance, a councilor of the San Francisco Opera’s BRAVO! Council, and a court appointed special advocate (CASA) for foster youth.

Nadine Sierra is an internationally acclaimed American soprano. At the age of 19, she became the youngest singer to win the Marilyn Horne Foundation Award and at the age of 21, she became the youngest soprano to win the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Ms. Sierra is a fixture at many of the top houses around the world, including the Met, Teatro alla Scala, Opéra national de Paris, and Staatsoper Berlin. She was honored with prestigious awards as winner of the Veronica Dunne, Montserrat Caballé, and Neue Stimmen international singing competitions. She was a recipient of the 2017 Richard Tucker Music Award and the 2018 Beverly Sills Artist Award. Ms. Sierra trained at the Mannes College of Music in New York City, Music Academy of the West, and as a Young Artist at Palm Beach Opera and in San Francisco Opera’s Adler Program.

Susan Stauter is Artistic Director Emeritus for the San Francisco Unified School District. She is Founding Chair of the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts Theater Department and was formerly Conservatory Director for the American Conservatory Theater. Among the organizations she has consulted for are Disney Entertainment, the Grammy Foundation, the New World Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Stauter is a lead trainer for the Leonard Bernstein Artful Learning School Reform Model and a frequent keynote speaker and advocate for arts education. The honored recipient of local, national, and international awards for excellence, Ms. Stauter was pleased to have April 3, 2017 named ‘Susan Stauter Day’ by the Mayor and Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco. Most recently she was honored to receive the CEDAW Women’s Rights Award in Arts and Culture.

Rosemary Vega is an accomplished professional with a diverse background in education and the arts. She currently serves as the Principal of East Williamsburg Scholars Academy, where ArtSmart has been providing music mentorship programs for five years. In addition to her years of experience as a teacher and assistant principal with the NYC Department of Education, she has served as Dance School Director and Executive Director of Nanette Bearden Contemporary Dance Theatre and as Recreation Director for afterschool programs at YMCA. She has also served as an Adjunct Professor and Program Coordinator of Kingsborough Community College’s College Now program, a FREE college transition/dual enrollment program for New York City Department of Education high school students. Rosemary holds an AS in Science and a BS in Business from the College of Staten Island, an MBA from Long Island University and an SBA from the College of St. Rose.

Isaias Aragon (he/him) is a 24-year-old Latino artist from the Bronx, New York. He holds an associate degree from LaGuardia Community College and is currently training as a BFA Acting major at Brooklyn College. Isaias began working with ArtSmart in 2018 as a student at Harlem Village Academy High School and was selected to attend the Lunigiana International Music Festival in Italy in Summer 2019.

Inspired by the tremendous impact ArtSmart has had on his personal and artistic growth, Isaias continues to support the organization as a member of the Alumni Board. He is driven by a commitment to creating opportunities for young artists, mirroring the support ArtSmart provided him. Reflecting on his experience, Isaias shares: “ArtSmart helped me gain confidence as an artist and showed me that growth is possible when I dedicate myself to the process.”

ArtSmart Experience: One-To-One Mentorship Program: Voice at Harlem Village Academy (New York, NY); 2019-2020

ArtSmart Mentor: Christine Moore Vassallo

Why Music?:  Music connects us all. It can transcend any differences or barriers. That’s why you can fall in love with music that is sung in a language you don’t even understand. You can feel the emotion.

Favorite ArtSmart Memory:  “My favorite Artsmart memory would definitely have to be participating in the Lunigiana International Music Festival. Artsmart paid for me to travel to Italy and be part of this festival where I learned so much from some of the most talented musicians in the world. I am forever grateful to Artsmart for taking a chance on me and allowing me to represent the organization in this way. This gratitude is the reason I am on the Artsmart Alumni Advisory board. The work Artsmart does is important and impactful and I want to help future generations of artists.”

After ArtSmart: Izzy is currently a BFA Theatre major at Brooklyn College. Speaking of his recent performance in “Spring Awakening,” IZZY shares, “It felt so good to get on stage and be in a musical production after a few years of not doing it because of the pandemic. It was a reminder of how much I love being on stage and telling stories.”  Since graduating from ArtSmart he has also continued to take lessons with his ArtSmart Mentor, Christine Moore Vassallo. IZZY hopes to continue his career in the arts both as a vocalist and an actor.

Isabelle Rodrigues Silva (She/hers) is an ArtSmart Alumni from East Side High School in Newark, New Jersey. She was part of the One-to-One vocal mentorship program with Chad Armstrong as her mentor from 2018 to 2021. She graduated high school in 2021 and went on to Tufts University in Massachusetts where she completed a Bachelors of Science in Human Factors Psychology with a minor in Music Engineering. At Tufts she joined the Concert Choir and Opera Ensemble to continue her music career. Isabelle’s favorite ArtSmart memory is the first time she sang Sound of Music on stage at her high school’s auditorium. 

ArtSmart Alumni Board Plans

ArtSmart has given Isabelle mentors both inside the music room and outside of it. ArtSmart taught her how to always aim higher and to use her own voice. Isabelle wishes to use the board to stay connected with ArtSmart, to help ArtSmart get better for new students and find new students and to connect all the amazing alumni that have gone through the program. Outside of ArtSmart Isabelle currently works with interpreting Portuguese to English 

ArtSmart Experience: One-To-One Mentorship Program: Voice at East Side High School ( Newark, NJ ); 2019-2021

ArtSmart Mentor: Chad Armstrong

After ArtSmart: Isabelle is currently pursuing a degree in Engineering Psychology with a minor in music at Tufts University. As part of her music minor at Tufts, she participates in concert choir, opera ensemble, and classes including music production. She also continues to take private lessons with her ArtSmart Mentor, Chad Armstrong. 

Why Music?: “Music is my access to transcribe the feelings that I need to show – an emotional outlet. It also helped me with my English.”

Favorite ArtSmart Memory:  “My favorite ArtSmart memory is the end-of-year recital. It was the first time I got to watch all of my friends perform these amazing songs and it was also the first time I got to watch a professional singer sing opera live.” 

Bryant joined the Alumni Advisory Board in March 2022. As a person of color and non-binary individual, Bryant is passionate about creating opportunities for people to express themselves and celebrate who they are within ArtSmart. They believe that everyone should feel empowered to work on music that represents them and dive deeper into different cultures and songs, drawing inspiration from the vast array of genres available. In their role on the Media and Marketing Committee, Bryant served as the Assistant Creative Director of ArtSmart’s TikTok. Bryant helped develop initiatives to promote ArtSmart on social media platforms such as the ArtSmart Summer Challenge, showcasing vocal warmup techniques, providing insights into life at a music school, offering audition tips and techniques, and sharing “day in the life” content.

Bryant shared that ArtSmart has had a profound impact on their life: “ArtSmart means a lot to me. I wouldn’t be the singer or the person I am today without ArtSmart. ArtSmart was the only place I’ve had a voice lesson from. I started my freshman year in high school, continued to be a part of it for all of high school and it changed my life. I could never leave ArtSmart.” When asked about why they joined the Alumni Board, Bryan shares, “I joined the Alumni Board because I want to help students find their voices, and to feel accepted in this industry. Even though the industry has a lot to work on, knowing that Artsmart is accepting, and opening doors to all students, no matter race, religion, disability, etc…we want to teach our students love music, change, and growth.”

ArtSmart Experience: One-To-One Mentorship Program: Voice; Pilot Vocal Theatre Program at Franklin Learning Center (Philadelphia); 2017-2021

ArtSmart Mentor: Lucas DeJesus

Why Music?: “Hmmm, to me music is about saying words I can’t say while I am talking.”

Favorite ArtSmart Memory: “My favorite ArtSmart memory would have to be winning 3rd place at the Artsmart Singing Competition my Sophomore Year. I’ve always taken singing seriously in my life, but entering this competition and participating in it made me really take it seriously to where I want my music to affect those who feel mistreated, who feel misunderstood, and who feel judged. I want my music to be something for everyone. Artsmart taught me how to serve love on a silver platter. And that’s what my music is.”

After ArtSmart: Bryant is a student at the University of the Arts, where they are pursuing a degree in Musical Theater with a minor in Songwriting. Bryant is part of a hip hop crew called Ignite and is working on releasing an album about their experience finding themselves through their sophomore year of college. When asked about their future plans, Bryant shares “[I] don’t want to put myself in a box. [I want to] to explore myself as an artist – choreographer, singer, actor, film director, everything – expanding [my] knowledge in the arts.”

October Gomes (he/they) is based in the NYC/NJ area and graduated from New Jersey City University, where they earned a bachelor’s degree in Musical Theatre. While attending East Side High School, October participated in one-to-one ArtSmart lessons. This experience, alongside support from their choir director, inspired him to pursue higher education and a professional career in music.

Because of financial barriers, ArtSmart provided October with their first opportunity to receive one-to-one voice lessons. This helped him build confidence in his vocal abilities and artistic potential. In Fall 2024, October joined the ArtSmart Alumni Board while still in college. Following graduation, they are now focused on developing their portfolio through original works and expanding his career in music.

Dee Jones (he/they) is an ArtSmart alum and graduate of Senn High School in Chicago, Illinois. He is currently working toward a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Music. Through ArtSmart’s one-to-one vocal mentorship program, Dee gained the confidence and foundational training to pursue music professionally, which would not have been financially accessible otherwise.

In Spring 2025, Dee joined the ArtSmart Alumni Board to remain connected with fellow musicians and to advocate for the impact and benefits of ArtSmart’s programs. Academically, Dee plans to apply to graduate programs abroad in 2026.

Steven Garcia Lopez (he/him) is an upcoming artist from San Francisco, California. He is an ArtSmart Alumni from Phillip and Sala Burton Academic School. He was a part of the One-to-One Vocal Mentorship Program with Jenna Toler as his mentor. He is now in his undergraduate studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music majoring in Voice Performance with Opera as his focus. Outside of school, Steven is working on releasing his first studio album. 

Steven is grateful for the opportunities ArtSmart has created through access to lessons and one-to-one mentorship. Through the support of the ArtSmart Program, Steven built the confidence and had the resources necessary to build his career in music in a way he did not have access to before. In his personal work, Steven strives to tell a story that once seemed impossible but now seems closer in reach thanks to ArtSmart.

ArtSmart Experience: One-To-One Mentorship Program: Voice at Phillip and Sala Burton Academic School (San Francisco, CA); ~2022-2024

ArtSmart Mentors: Jenna Toler, Kevin Gino

Why Music?: Music has to be the most versatile outlet for creativity in the world, who could resist that?! Music to me is special because not only do I enjoy just listening to it, I enjoy partaking in it as well. Making music in the form of singing and producing my own tracks has ultimately let my creativity run wild. 

Favorite ArtSmart Memory: My favorite ArtSmart memory was being able to perform with two of my close friends on our final recital day. Seeing two people who claimed they could “never perform in front of people” and actually end up doing just that was magical; I saw the passion of music bloom in their souls.

After ArtSmart: I am currently applying to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to major in voice and opera. I am also simultaneously trying to kickstart a new music project called VANEST, in which I produce and perform my own tracks. An album is currently in the works.