Frelinhuysen Resident Alexandra Altonjy to Attend International Music Festival

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Frelinghuysen resident and College of Saint Elizabeth student Alexandra Altonjy will preform at the Assisi Performing Arts Festival.

MORRISTOWN, NJ (02/08/2011)(readMedia)-- Frelinghuysen resident and College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE) student Alexandra Altonjy, '11, will be packing her bags, dusting off her passport, and practicing her Italian as she prepares to attend the Assisi Performing Arts Festival with fellow CSE student Shannon Tipton, '13, of Woodbridge, Va. This summer, they will be visiting the medieval Italian town.

Altonjy, an English and music major was awarded a scholarship to defray the cost of her participation in the festival from July 7 to 23, 2011.

"When we heard about the competition, we thought, 'this is right up our alley,'" says Altonjy.

To receive the scholarship, Altonjy took part in a voice competition, in which she was required to sing a sacred area, an opera aria, and an American Broadway musical selection. Music faculty members Pamela Stein and Jarred Tafaro prepared her for the competition.

"It is everything that I enjoy singing, so it was perfect," says Altonjy.

One of the goals of the festival is to promote careers in church ministry and Altonjy had to prove that she played a role in her parish.

"There are jobs in churches," she says, who has been a choir member since the second grade. "lt is a reliable job and a different way of approaching singing."

While Altonjy anticipates an exciting future career, she is thinking more about the immediate future that includes her first trip to Europe.

"It is pure excitement," she says

Buon viaggio!

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.