!ChristineDeVault: enjoys family talent and tradition ·1

by Kate Pelusi staff writer

The usual Sunday silence was gladly interrupted on Aprill with the beautiful and sophisticated sounds of faculty member Christine DeVault and her family performing a wide array of chamber music for a standing room only crowd in the mansion.

De Vault, a formally trained vocalist, was joined by her husband, baritone Jeffrey DeVault, her son Jeffrey Paul, an accomplished young pianist, her nephew Richard Amoroso Jr., a violinist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and her brother-in-law Richard Amoroso Sr., a cellist.

De Vault has been singing for as long as she can remember. However, her formal training began when she was in high school.

De Vault is blessed to come from a very musical family. Her brother attended the esteemed Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and DeVault grew an interest to study at Curtis as well.

For her post-graduate work, DeVault studied at Curtis and then received the Fulbright-Hays scholarship grant to studyin Rome.

After she married, DeVault kept her performances local forms." and taught privately in her home. As her children grew DeVault's recital was part of Cabrini's Cultural Conolder, De Vault realized she wanted to teach private vocal certs, which are usually offered 2 to 3 times a year. Culturlessons in a school setting. al Concerts are a way to expose students and the outside De Vault met with Dr. Adeline Bethany, Chair of the Fine community to varieties of music and performers.

Arts Department at Cabrini, and Bethay offered De Vault a De Vault's own recital with her family members was a place teaching not only vocal lessons at Cabrini, but also beautiful and amazing display of vocal and musical abilities Survey of Music and Interpretation of Opera where she within the setting of the mansion. Her "goal was to perform could share her wide opera knowledge with students. varieties of genres from the Baroque period to the 20th cenDeVault also teaches private vocal lessons, Survey of tury period."

Music and Interpretation of Opera at Eastern College and Each of the performers chose varieties of composers to has a very fullschedule between both schools. contribute to flexibility in the program. De Vault mentioned Interpretation of Opera is a very unique course taught she highly enjoys singing French Art Songs along with traevery other semester. Despite the preconceived ideas about ditional Italian arias as well. Opera, the course teaches opera as an art form that intro- The entire program was impressive. Some particular duces students to the amazing vocal abilities of opera highlights was De Vault's performance of Donde Lieta from singers along with the genius composers who produced La Boheme by Puccini and the finale which featured all the these operas. performers of Yours is my Heart Alone by Frank Lehar and Opera is a conglomeration of several art forms: great lit- arranged by Richard Amoroso Sr. erary works which inspired many operas, composers, "For me, it was an extremely gratifying experience lo singers, the amazing sets and the grandiose opera houses. perform chamber music in the mansion. It lent itself well "Opera is part of what should be a liberal arts experi- to the genre," De Vault said. She was also honored to perence," said De Vault. "It encompass so many1filret'etit aff""'Torm with her talented family members. -~~·c1"