The world is her stage, but concert pianist prefers Naples for now

Jodie Desalvo Growing up in a house filled with music the way she did, it's really no surprise that concert pianist and choral director Jodie Desalvo found her passion early in life. By the time she was 8 years old, she had decided playing the piano was her life's ambition, and since then she has fully realized her goal.

Ms. Desalvo has earned national and international acclaim for her interpretations of the classical masters and has toured the world as a concert soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. She played her debut performance at Carnegie Hall in 1982 and followed that performance with an encore engagement at New York's Lincoln Center. She's performed on stage with The Moody Blues and in major concert halls in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Tenerife, Warsaw and London.

Nowadays, however, she prefers performing closer to home. She appears regularly at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts and hosts the Phil's lecture and recital series titled "The Art of the Piano." She's also the middle and high school choral director at Seacrest Country Day School.

"My mother was an opera singer," says Ms. Desalvo, who grew up the middle of three children in Waterbury, Conn. "Though my mom stopped performing when she married my father, music was always a very big part of our lives" she adds.

She began performing publically at the age of 11, accompanying the chorus at St. Joseph's Catholic School, where she was a student, and playing at local churches and concert halls. In high school and in college, she toured with a variety of choral groups and performed in some of the most spectacular cathedrals in Europe. "Those experiences were some of the best of my professional life," she says. "Playing the world's most beautiful compositions in such awe-inspiring places was very moving for me. The old world context made the music very powerful."

She earned a bachelor of music degree from the Hartt School of Music in New York and a master's from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music.

Her choral background makes her a natural as the choir director at Seacrest. Before beginning there two years ago, she held a similar position at Community School of Naples. In addition to her full-time responsibilities, she tutors students individually in both singing and piano. "I love working with the students one-on-one, helping them develop their individual strengths," she says.

Her son Bennie, a senior at Seacrest, sings with the school choir; older son Frank attends Tufts University in Somerville, Mass., where he sings with a gospel choir. Her husband, Bill, is the high school admissions coordinator and the college counseling officer at Seacrest.

"I tried to teach both my kids to play the piano when they were growing up, but they didn't really take to it," she says, "although my oldest son loves playing now."

The pianist believes that even for kids who don't plan a career in music, singing with a choir offers a wonderful chance to learn to work with a group. "And getting up in front of an audience is not easy for most kids, but it's an important life lesson that helps build confidence," she adds.

Ms. Desalvo is planning to take the Seacrest chorus to Italy to perform in some of the cathedrals that had such a powerful impact on her musical career. To raise money for the trip, the group will perform on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Handsome Harry's on Third Street South. "The show will be great practice for the kids to sing in front of an audience," she says. "The more experience they get, the better they'll be at dealing with stage fright.

Despite all of the years that she has spent on performance stages around the world, Ms. Desalvo admits she still gets nervous every time she plays. "I always want to do my best, and that provides a certain amount of pressure," she says. "Still, the adrenalin that comes from being nervous helps me to do a better job on stage. It gives me a shot of energy and an excitement that I need to do my best.

"Over the years, I've learned to channel my nerves so that they help me give a better performance rather than immobilizing me. That's something that I try to teach my students to do as well."

When asked what she likes best about performing, Ms. Desalvo replies that she likes… well, everything about it. "I can't imagine doing anything else with my life," she says.

"I love working with kids and helping them grow, and I love every minute that I spend on stage. I particularly enjoy the opportunity to bring my own interpretations of the music to the audience."