Joseph Stuligross
Artistic Director and Co-FOUNDER
Joseph Stuligross, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of VoiceGivers, has held conducting posts at Duquesne University and Troy University, as well as at the Conservatorio di Musica “Giuseppe Tartini,” in Trieste, Italy and in Poland at the Akademia Muzyczna im. Feliksa Nowowiejskiego. As a Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Stuligross conducted university choral ensembles and lectured on American music and music education at the University of Pécs in Hungary. He has taught graduate and undergraduate conducting majors as well as courses in a variety of music education subjects.
A widely respected music educator, Dr. Stuligross has led masterclasses and workshops throughout Europe. He recently returned from a highly successful series of workshops for singers and conservatory students in Turkey at the Istanbul State Conservatory. Topics included “Music and Movement,” “Training the Complete Musician,” “Preparing High School Choral Musicians.” Trained as a singer, Dr. Stuligross sang professionally for many years with opera, chamber, and symphonic choral ensembles in the US and in Germany. He is the artistic director of VoiceGivers, www.VoiceGivers.org, a professional chamber choir in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which programs repertoire that spotlights a community need. VoiceGivers seeks to inspire audiences to become motivated to help.
Dr. Stuligross regularly conducts amateur adult ensembles, guided by the belief that all are capable of honest and genuine musical expression. He remains active as a singer with the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Camerata, and other ensembles. He studied with renowned choral conductors Robert Fountain, Joseph Flummerfelt, Simon Carrington, Robert Page, William Weinert and Paul Salamunovich. Dr. Stuligross has also studied Dalcroze Eurhythmics and advocates use of physical movement to enhance musical expression. He earned degrees from the College of Wooster in Ohio, University of Wisconsin and Harvard University. In addition to his musical career, Dr. Stuligross has enthusiastically represented workers as an appellate labor and retirement benefits attorney.
Deborah Stuligross
Managing Director and Co-FOUNDER
Deborah Stuligross, Managing Director and Co-Founder of VoiceGivers, also serves the nonprofit community as Executive In Residence for The Forbes Funds and as founder and CEO of StrefaTECH, an organization providing advisory services and training to nonprofit organizations. She also is a volunteer and board member for many nonprofit organizations. Her prior career included working as the Director of Corporate Work Study at Holy Family Academy (now Nazareth Prep), a program of Holy Family Institute; Director of IT at Eaton Corporation; and numerous roles at Rockwell Automation and Systems Modeling Corporation.
