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Dr. Savage, a retired associate professor of music, served the Purdue Fort Wayne School of Music as director of voice for thirteen years. His other academic appointments included the University of Texas at Arlington, Longwood University, the University of Richmond, and the University of Virginia. He also served on the faculty of the prestigious Opera Festival di Roma from 1999-2019.
Dr. Savage’s students have been accepted at prestigious graduate programs. Students have consistently won competitions and appeared with world-renowned opera companies, on and off Broadway, and in Hollywood films and TV productions.

Testimonials

Molly Noori, Mezzo-Soprano and owner of Molly Noori Voice Studio in Orange County, CA- I began studying with Dr. Savage during my sophomore year at Indiana University, Fort Wayne. This is when I first realized that I had the potential to sing operatically and professionally. Before working with Dr. Savage, I had only scratched the surface of my potential. He was able to help me discover my voice and paint a picture of what my voice could become. The learned technique, career guidance, mentorship, and love for opera that I gained from Dr. Savage are invaluable. Much of my success as a professional singer stems from his teaching and my success as a private voice instructor. The creativity, variety, differentiation, expectation of excellence, and passion present at every lesson set a high bar for me as an educator. His dedication to the art form and his students is evident in every aspect of his work: teaching, directing, and administrative tasks- his guidance and support continued even after I went to grad school. I would not be a professional singer and voice teacher today had I not been lucky enough to work with him.

Molly NooriMezzo soprano, teacher, director

I have been a singer all my life. I sang in the children's choir at church, graduated to the teen and then adult choir, took on the school chorus, enrolled in university singers at UVA, and did my fair share of musicals with pretty solid success. And then, in the summer after my first year of undergrad, I took on Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and felt like I had no idea what I was doing. The vocal technique required to sing the role of Johanna was beyond what my instincts could conquer.
When I returned to school that fall, I enrolled in private classical tutorials with Dr. Savage. It was the first step towards understanding the importance of establishing a technique not just for my singing but for my acting work overall. My primary focus in singing since then has been musical theater rather than opera, but Sam provided me with a solid classical technique that gave me access to breath and the true soul of my voice in a way that would allow me to make the technique second nature and allow the inspiration to flow. He was patient with me, encouraging me to continue the practice even on days when I felt like my voice wasn't powerful enough to make an impact. I had to perform arias for adjudication at the end of each semester, an assignment I first shrugged off since I didn't have plans to become an opera singer. However, Sam helped me find the joy, spontaneity, and bravery in these performances, solidifying my appreciation for giving structure to my preparation to let the performance be free and lacking in self-consciousness.
Thanks to Sam, I feel like I can tackle any music with solid control of my breath and voice. Recognizing how much this preparation freed up my singing, I was driven to pursue a more disciplined foundation for my acting as well. As an undergrad, I was a Middle Eastern studies major, so when I decided to take the plunge and pursue acting, I understood how much technique could aid the instincts I had learned to trust. This led to my decision to pursue my MFA at Nyu's Tisch School of the Arts, where I grew by leaps and bounds as an actor (and continued to sing).
Sam's passion for music and teaching is boundless. He is patient, driven, understanding, and overwhelmingly generous, even with students like me who aren't pursuing a classical career. I am indebted to him for the discipline that led to greater inspiration and freedom to communicate my stories.

Emily SwallowActress, Singer and Armorer in the Mandalorian

One of the greatest qualities of Dr. Savage is dedicated to teaching voice. He is constantly searching for alternative ways to explain his ideas, seeking ways to improve his own voice, and is dedicated.
To mentor his students even after they graduate. He and I often met to discuss a vocal concept or to hear his explanation of an idea I could not grasp from another teacher.
Throughout my continued training and masterclasses in Sicily, New York, and Texas, I have found that Dr. Savage’s teaching and concepts coincide fully with the ideas taught by the greatest tenors and tenor teachers in the world, such as Marcello Giordani, Salvatore Fisichella, Nicola Martinucci, Pietro Ballo, and my current teacher Gioacchino li Vigna. Dr. Savage continues to mentor me and gives me touch-ups.

Sergio CepedaTenor

After a long period of study with Franco Corelli, Dr. Savage has developed an extremely consistent, solid technique. Pedagogically, he has a wonderful natural teaching ability and can establish excellent foundation skills. Moreover, it is obvious that he “connects” with students immediately.

Melanie K. DayAssociate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University

Sam is one of the finest teachers in the area. I love what I hear coming out of his studio.

Darren Keith WoodsSeagle Festival, Fort Worth Opera

He is absolutely amazing! He has the ability to take any voice and turn it into a voice that's ready for a professional career. In all my years at Utah, Sam has proven to be the most effective voice teacher ever. My choirs are singing so much better because of his teaching. I take mini-lessons from Sam whenever I can. I've learned so much about the voice from him.

Professor Jing Ling-TamUT Arlington

It has been a joy performing with and observing Sam teach. He is a wonderful artist with a vast understanding of the voice. He puts that knowledge into practice in his own performances. He successfully communicates the concepts and principles of a tried-and-true technique grounded in the old Italian tradition to his students. I give him my strongest recommendation!

Peter L. AthertonDirector of Operatic Studies College of Performing Arts Chapman University