Sam Viggiano has come a long way only to find himself (sort of) right back where he started. You see, Sam, whom we have written about several times in mtl, is the male third of the Viggiano triplets, who grew up in Sunset Hills and graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School in 2009. These days, Sam and his sisters, Alyse and Kara, are living in different cities and pursuing different careers, but Sam finds himself part of another trio that includes two women.
He, Emily Swora and Anna Ciaccio, all professional musicians, are the co-founders of the Yinzer Singers.The chamber choir founded less than a year ago is filling what its leaders think is a void in the Pittsburgh music scene.
The group, consisting of a roster of two dozen singers with a core group of eight, is available in various numbers and combinations (but never more than eight—two sopranos, two altos, two tenors, two baritones) for private and corporate parties, weddings, fundraisers and professional events. They perform a variety of vocal music, including contemporary and classical choral music, contemporary pop and jazz, music from Pittsburgh composers and their own arrangements.
Viggiano is a graduate of West Virginia University School of Music with degrees in music, speech pathology and arts administration. He met his co-founders when they all were singing at First Presbyterian Church, Downtown, and working with the nonprofit Pittsburgh School for the Choral Arts, a popular after-school program for young women. Not only is their group different from other Pittsburgh choral groups that specialize in a particular genre, but the Yinzers also are singular in that they have a mission “to give back to the community,” Viggiano says.
The Yinzers will be doing just that with their free Holiday Canned Food Concert Series, which aims to raise awareness of poverty and benefit families in need. Come and enjoy seasonal singalong entertainment from Christmas classics to popular a cappella favorites at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Washington Road, Tuesday, December 13, at 7 p.m. or at Bower Hill Community Presbyterian Church on Moffett Street, Sunday, December 18, at 7 p.m. Your canned food donation is your admission.
For more information about the Yinzer Singers, visit www.yinzersingers.com [1]