A native of Platteville, Susan Savage Day joined the music faculty at University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2002. An active soloist and recitalist, Dr. Savage Day has performed throughout the Midwest and the Southeast region of the United States. An active recitalist, Dr. Savage Day specializes in twentieth-century music. In 1994, she was a winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. She has won awards in National Association of Teachers of Singing and was the Regional Winner in the Upper Great Lakes for National Association of Teachers of Singing Artists Award (NATSAA) in 1995. Dr. Savage Day has performed at the Chazen Museum in Madison, WI in a live broadcast on Wisconsin Public Radio in November 2006 and in February 2008 with the Rountree Ensemble. Last year, Dr. Savage Day performances included Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock with the Rountree Ensemble; soloist in Handel’s Messiah, a recitalist on the Heritage Church Series and two lecture recitals with Kassia: Women in Song. In Kassia’s most recent lecture recital, Madwomen in Music, Dr. Savage Day directed and performed the monodrama, Miss Havisham’s Wedding Night.
A founding member of the UW-Platteville vocal ensemble, Kassia: Women in Song, Dr. Savage Day creates thought-provoking programs that are designed to entertain and educate. During 2008-09, Kassia will present two programs: An Evening with Emily Dickinson and Kassia & Friends. The Dickinson program unites the talents of both the Vocal and English departments of UW-Platteville. Kassia and Friends will celebrate UW-Platteville’s talented music staff, featuring works for voice and solo instruments. A future program for the 2009-2010 year, Women’s Music/Women’s Words will highlight the talents of women in the arts, uniting both their words and music.
As Musical Director for Musical Theatre at UW-Platteville, Dr. Savage Day collaborated on an original historical musical revue for UW-Platteville called Another Opening, Another Show in October 2007 and Anything Goes in April 2008. She will continue as Musical Director with Thoroughly Modern Millie in April 2009. Having much stage experience to her credit, Dr. Savage Day’s favorite roles include: Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Sandrina in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Hanna in Léhar’s The Merry Widow, Baby Doe in Moore’s The Ballad of Baby Doe and various roles in A, My Name is Alice with Footlight Productions.
Dr. Savage Day has extensive training in body-awareness techniques. A student of Dr. Thomas Houser, she brings a total body approach into her teaching. Dr. Savage Day has training in Massage Therapy, Reflexology, CranioSacral Therapy, Somatic Emotional Release and Visceral Manipulation. Susan is a teaching assistant for the Upledger Institute, assisting with Craniosacral Therapy I, Craniosacral Therapy II and Somato Emotional Release I classes. Dr. Savage Day created the innovative class Bodyworks for Musicians for UW-Platteville in fall 2004. She integrates her extensive kinesthetic and anatomical knowledge into her voice studio.
A full-time faculty member at UW-Platteville, Dr. Savage Day currently teaches music and theatre majors and minors in Applied Voice, Bodyworks for Musicians, Characterization through Song, and Vocal Pedagogy. Dr. Savage Day is the Musical Director for the Musical Theatre program.
Dr. Savage Day is a member of National Association of Teachers of Singers, an Active Member of American CranioSacral Therapy Association, as well as the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals.