Kathryn Allyn

KATHRYN ALLYN (vocals), FRANK PONZIO (piano), TOM HUBBARD (bass), VITO LESCZAK (drums)
Kathryn Allyn, called “a vocally lustrous earful” by The Philadelphia Enquirer and “grandly libidinous” by Opera News, “has the sort of smoky velvet voice that sounds too natural, too unforced to have been operatically trained...but isn’t cut off from her Kansas City roots and the “dirty blues” that singers with far less perfect voices shouted in the dives of that city through the Second World War. [She] provides the moody nuance of Billie Holiday, the jazzy energy of Betty Hutton, the sensuous pleasure of Jo Stafford, but with a sassy wink and a toss of hip that make them Miss Allyn’s own. In an era that has forgotten the fun of double-entendres, she knows how to be subtle and sexy and musical all at one time” (John Yohalem, Parterre Box). Kathryn and Frank Ponzio (bandleader, pianist) have appeared together at New York City's TomiJazz, Somethin' Jazz, Stage72, La Mediterranee and the Metropolitan Room. At the Cutting Room, Kaye and Frank are joined by Tom Hubbard (bass) and Vito Leszack (drums) in their exploration of the songs and career of Jazz titan Anita O’Day, in Indestructible.

Before she became besotted by jazz, Kaye appeared in leading roles at New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Virginia Opera and others. She was seen as Carmen at Florida Grand and Anchorage Opera, and in twentieth-century works at NYCO: Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt (Brigitte) and Richard Rodney Bennet’s The Mines of Sulphur (Rosalind). Kaye is a winner of classical singing prizes The McAllister Awards (Third Prize, Professional Division) and The Birmingham Awards (Third Prize). Her NYCO debut, in Chabrier’s feather-light L’Etoile, was described as “Stylishly sung” by Opera News. Her various assignments with the company included turns in Madama Butterfly (Suzuki) and Handel’s Flavio (Teodata), as well as creating the role of Princess Batcheat in Salman Rusdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories (“the most difficult task of the day,” according to the New York Sun). Her Palm Beach Opera outing performances as Niklausse in Les Contes d’Hoffmann (under the baton of Julius Rudel) was hailed as “note perfect” and “the most satisfying performance of the night” by the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. In her appearance in Rossini’s La Donna del Lago with Opera Orchestra New York, The New Jersey Classical Society Journal noted that she “knocked off another amazing vocal feat…every time she came onstage”. In concert repertoire, Kathryn has been heard with the Tokyo Symphony as Alto Soloist in Mahler’s Symphony Nr. 2, made her Carnegie Hall debut as Alto Soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, and returned to Carnegie Hall to appear as Alto Soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Beethoven’s Symphony Nr. 9. www.kathrynallyn.com
Frank Ponzio, a 2009, ‘10 & ‘11 MAC nominee, a jazz pianist, composer, arranger and teacher, has captivated audiences all across the United States, serving as bandleader at the legendary Birdland, the Algonquin Hotel, The Museum of Modern Art, Trinity Church, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and Town Hall. As a music director, Frank has worked on numerous productions, including shows at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Cooper-Hewitt Museum, and the Paramount Theater at Madison Square Garden.. He’s performed with artists including Ben Vereen, David Amram, Phil Donahue, Joe Beck, Nancy LaMott, earning wide acclaim and admiration for the integrity, sensitivity, and passion of his playing. Regarded particularly for his transparent touch and eloquent performances, he’s served as vocal coach for The New School’s The Actors Studio, as well as The William Riley Studio with students including Celine Dion, Faith Hill, and Stevie Wonder. He’s created original scores for The Silver Swing, an independent film directed by Martha Parker, The New School's production of David Mamet’s radio play, The Water Engine and the score for the feature film A Level Field. In television and radio, he has written music for Dunkin’ Donuts, Kmart, Exxon, and Campbell's Soup. Currently he is scoring a film, Midnight to Midnight, by Sculptor Artist and Producer Roberta Berman. As an educator, Frank teaches theory, songwriting, arranging and piano performance privately, and has enjoyed a fifteen year association (serving as Music Director 1991-1994) with the National Dance Institute, an innovative organization founded by Jacques d’Amboise that brings the benefits of the arts to children from all social and economic backgrounds. He has performed regularly at a homeless shelter in New York, The Ittleson Center for Children, St. Francis School for the Deaf and The Lighthouse Center for the Blind in New York). His love of comparative religion and mythology brought him to the formal study of philosophy, Plato, Advaita Vedanta, Sanskrit and Meditation. He tutors classes weekly at the School of Practical Philosophy, NYC. Recent Lecture - performances include Listening, A Musical Exploration and have taken place in NJ, NY and Toronto, Canada. Frank is currently a member and pianist for Celebration Spiritual Center in Brooklyn. www.frankponzio.com