About Me

I’ve always loved telling stories. Growing up in a musical family and a vibrant music community in Pittsburgh, telling stories through song and connecting with audiences through this medium has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. It was during my sophomore year of high school that I discovered another passion: the German language and culture. At 15, I lived with a host family in a small German village of 100 people. (This was a big change for this city girl!) I was fully immersed in the German language and culture, and this life-changing experience was the foundation for the path that has led me to where I am today, as a passionate performer and dedicated educator.

After my experience abroad, I knew that I wanted to somehow combine my passions for music and the German language into a career, and voice performance was the perfect fit. I would be able to continue honing my craft, tell stories through song and furthering my language studies. Throughout my many years of studies, I have had the opportunity to return to Germany and also continue my musical and German studies in both Graz and Vienna, Austria.

As my career progressed, I was finding myself teaching more and more – both in the classroom and in the private voice studio. I came to discover a passion for teaching that has fused so perfectly with performance. Sharing my love of music and languages with the next generation of performers and music educators is incredibly fulfilling. It is invigorating for me to share my own experiences with my students, and to watch them grow and make their own discoveries. I am grateful every day to get to do what I love at SU. Similar to my experiences abroad, the liberal arts education at Susquehanna University opens young musicians’ eyes and broadens their minds beyond music, giving them a holistic perspective that enhances their performance and artistic skills.

When I’m not performing or teaching, I can most often be found having dance parties or at a local park with my three favorite people: my husband, Jon, and our two children, Elenora and Luca.

Professional Experience

Dr. Amanda Russo Stante teaches voice at Susquehanna University. A native of Pittsburgh, Stante began her studies in higher education in her hometown at Carnegie Mellon University. After completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a minor in German, Stante moved to the Midwest, where she went on to complete her Master of Music and Doctor of Music degrees at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Her doctoral studies culminated with her lecture recital on Peter Lieberson’s Neruda Songs.

A lyric mezzo-soprano, Stante is passionate about performing repertoire ranging from opera to cabaret. She is known for her versatility on the operatic stage, mastering both feminine and pants roles. Some of her most beloved roles performed include the title roles in Handel’s Serse, and Massenet’s Cendrillon, Hansel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Octavian in Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, and Isabella in Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri. Equally at home on the concert and recital stage, Stante’s recent solo concert engagements include Mahler’s Rückert Lieder, Britten’s Canticle II, Corigliano’s Fern Hill, Ravel’s Shéhérazade, Duruflé’s Requiem, and Handel’s Messiah.

Stante’s performance experience has taken her to The Glimmerglass Festival, Indiana University Opera Theater, Central City Opera and concert stages across the United States and Europe. She has appeared as a soloist with the Budapest Concert Orchestra, The Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Akron Symphony Orchestra and the Wooster Symphony Orchestra.

Prior to her appointment at SU, Stante taught courses in the Music in General Studies Program at IU Jacobs School of Music and served on the voice faculty at Indiana State University. She has also been on the voice faculty for the IU Jacob School of Music’s College Audition Preparation Workshop. Stante served as stage director for Reimagining Opera for Kids (ROK), a Bloomington-based opera outreach company for two seasons. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).

Courses Taught