Suzanne U. Polak is a versatile artist, working in many diverse fields of music. She has worked as a substitute keyboardist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, appearing under Marvin Hamlisch and Thomas Hong; as Acting Principal with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Andre Raphel; and with the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra.  In addition, she has performed and worked extensively with members of the PSO and River City Brass Band.  She also recently appeared with the PSO under the baton of Leonard Slatkin playing the Theremin.  She retains a position as organist for St. Peter’s E & R Church.  She received both a Masters in Composition and Theory and a Bachelor’s in Piano Performance from Duquesne University, and happily remains on the University Accompanying Staff. She also accompanies for musical theatre and dance classes at Point Park University.

   Suzanne has fulfilled numerous music commissions, including pieces for members of the PSO, D.U. Red Masquers, D.U. Medieval and Renaissance Players, Carlow College, and fellow D.U. alums. Her compositions have been featured in many solo events, solo recitals, theatre productions, and at the International Conference of the Double Reed Society. Recently, she collaborated on Homeless: the Musical, which received two local performance runs. Her score is heard during the DVD-recorded performance of The Tragedy of Jane Shore. In addition, The Beggar’s Opera was given mention for “Best Scores of 2001” in both the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and the City Paper.  Suzanne also just released her first all original CD entitled Unguarded Moments, which is available through her website.

   Suzanne is a member of the Adjunct Faculty at CAPA: the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. In addition to being the primary piano lab instructor, she has happily accompanied her students at various competitions, including the Pittsburgh Concert Society Young Artists’ Competition. She has also appeared three times as a concerto soloist for the CAPA Symphony Orchestra. She has also taught at Hope Academy for the Music and the Arts, based at East Liberty Presbyterian Church.  And in the recent past Suzanne has acted with both Carlow College and the Summer Company. For the D.U. Contemporary Ensemble, she has premiered solo acting pieces, including David Del Tredici’s Dracula, which required her to sing a semi-operatic score.  She also appeared and/or music directed for numerous musicals at Carlow College and for the D.U. Red Masquers and Spotlight. Among them: Lady In the Dark, On the Twentieth Century, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Ernest in Love, Into the Woods, and Godspell.

   In addition, she dislikes how unfulfilled her life story is in a bio.  The perfect bio to Suzanne would read thusly, “If you want to know more about Suzanne U. Polak, take her out to dinner. She will be more than happy to talk to you!”