Michael Pizzini, son of John Thomas Pizzini and Airey Phelan Pizzini, is a Junior Music Education student at Loyola University New Orleans. He has been singing on stage since he was 10 years old and is thrilled to be continuing with Loyola’s fabulous production of Gianni Schicci. He is following his grandparents’, parents’, and sister’s legacy attending Loyola University. He currently sings as a choral section leader at Rayne Memorial Church. He is also the current president of Loyola’s National Association of Music Education’s Collegiate Chapter. Michael is honored to be receiving the American Italian Federation 2015 Salvatore Panzeca Opera Scholarship Award, and he would like to thank the American Italian Federation and Panzeca family for this award.
The Panzeca Italian-American scholarship is awarded to Italian-American opera singers in honor of Sal Panzeca, former president of the New Orleans Opera Association. The scholarship was presented by Robert Lyall, Director of the New Orleans Opera, and Victor Musso, president of the American Italian Federation of the Southeast. Also in attendance on behalf of the scholarship were Robin Panzeca, Maria Falco, Gasper Schiro and Joseph Piccione. Previous Panzeca Italian-American scholarship recipients include Kameron Loperore in 2014 and Lisa Cossention-Miller in 2013.