All The Things We Are: a concert/cabaret of American music

Vira + Friends presents All The Things We Are - a concert/cabaret of American music featuring contralto Vira Slywotzky, bass-baritone Michael Scarcelle and pianist David Sytkowski. Revel in the diversity, bounty and beauty of American classical and popular song! Enjoy music by Samuel Barber, Irving Berlin, Florence Price, Martha Redbone, Stephen Sondheim and others.
Questions? Email [email protected]
About the performers:
Michael Scarcelle’s recent performance highlights include Candide (Herrman Augustus) with both London Symphony Orchestra and Munich Philharmonic, La donna del lago (Duglas) and Rusalka (Vodník) with ResonanceWorks, Candide (Pangloss) with Opera in the Heights, The Marriage of Figaro (Figaro) with Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, The Magic Flute (Papageno) and The Pirates of Penzance (Pirate King) with Anchorage Opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors (Melchior) with Amarillo Opera, La Cenerentola (Alidoro) with Salt Marsh Opera, Serse (Elviro) with Boston Baroque, and Death in Holst’s Savitri with Little Opera Theater of New York.
In 2015 Dr. Scarcelle made his Carnegie Hall debut as Masolino in American Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Schillings’ Mona Lisa, then performed there again as soloist for both Duruflé Requiem and Fauré Requiem. Other notable concert engagements include Avery Fisher Hall performances as bass soloist for Händel's Messiah and Verdi's Requiem, bass soloist for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Temple University Orchestra, as well as Bach’s Magnificat, internationally televised from the National Shrine.
Dr. Scarcelle made his European debut singing Crespel in Les Contes d'Hoffmann and Marchese in La Traviata with Festival Lyrique International de Belle-Île-en-Mer and returned to the French festival as Schaunard in La bohème. Other notable performances abroad include Carmen (Escamillo) and Le nozze di Figaro (Figaro) with Volkstheater Rostock. His concert of Broadway music with the Macedonia Philharmonic Orchestra earned him a Cultural Diplomacy award from the United States Embassy.
He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Temple University, Master of Music degree from Yale University, a Bachelor of Music degree from Hunter College, and a Certificate of Performance in Musical Theatre from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, focusing on acting and dancing.
Vira Slywotzky has performed principal roles with Seattle Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Chelsea Opera, Center for Contemporary Opera, Sarasota Opera and Boston Midsummer Opera. She has sung concerts, recitals and cabarets in New York City venues from The Duplex to Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall and on tour all over the United States. Internationally Slywotzky has been heard in Canada, France, Hungary, Sweden and Wales.
A champion of new music, she has workshopped and premiered more than 30 works including songs, full scale opera and narration with orchestra.

Since February 2022 Slywotzky has been serving as a cultural ambassador and fundraising for Razom for Ukraine and other organizations providing aid to and supporting Ukraine. Her performances have collected over $275,000.

Participant in numerous competitions and winner of awards, most significantly Slywotzky was the sole representative of the USA at the 2009 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition.

She runs the multiform concert series Vira + Friends and is Member Emeritus on the Board of the Berkshire Opera Festival.
“Vira Slywotzky is an immensely talented, charismatic performer who transforms herself, and captivates her audience with her songs and tales.” - The Village View
David Sytkowski is a sought-after pianist, vocal coach, and music director in opera, art song, cabaret and musical theater. He has appeared at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub and Feinstein’s San Francisco, among others. He often collaborates with legendary cabaret artist Justin Vivian Bond.
As Artist in Residence at Bard College, he is Music Director for Opera Workshop, leads the Musical Theater Performance Workshop and coaches singers and pianists.
He is co-creator of VOWEL MOVEMENTS, a subversive classical/cabaret/drag project with Pretty Lamé, made possible by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts. It premiered at Hudson Hall in June 2023 and remounted at ICA Miami in February 2024.
Other recent 2025 projects include the production premiere of Steven Schoenberg’s and Richard Michelson’s Dear Edvard at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse; Woo Girl Miracles! with Justin Vivian Bond (Joe’s Pub); Giulio Cesare with director RB Schlather (Hudson Hall); Assassins (Fisher Center at Bard); recitals with contralto Vira Slywotzky (NYC, Boston and New Hampshire).
Vira Slywotzky founded Vira + Friends in May 2018 with the intent of bringing people together to enjoy the live performance of music written for voice and piano. Since that time Vira + Friends has become a multiform concert series with the expanded missions of developing audiences for classical music and providing a platform for composers traditionally neglected by the Western canon. All The Things We Are is the first in a new series selebrating the diversity and bounty of American music. Vira + Friends is a nonprofit corporation under the auspices of the Ukrainian American Educational Center of Boston, a 501(c)(3).

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