The SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association recently honored Edith Grossman ’15 of Cincinnati with the College’s Rising Star Award during Reunion 2023.
The Rising Star Award is presented to alumni who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement in the first decade following graduation. Grossman was honored for her many accomplishments within a decade of graduating, and in anticipation of all she has yet to achieve as a performer and artist.
About the recipient:
Mezzo-soprano Edith Grossman ’15 has established herself as an expressive force within the opera and musical theatre worlds, embodying each of her characters with gusto and sensitivity.
As a Crane School of Music student, Edith was chosen as the lead in almost every Crane Opera Ensemble production, from Mozart’s “Così fan tutte” to the musical theatre classic “Ragtime.” She made the most of her time as an undergraduate, performing during the summers at the College Light Opera Company, at Seagle Music Colony and at the Frost University Summer Program in Salzburg, Austria. She was also selected to participate in masterclasses with both Stephanie Blythe ’92 and Esther Jane Hardenbergh.
Since graduating, Edith has performed on stages across the country, most recently at the Fargo Moorhead Opera, Kenosha Opera Festival and Carnegie Hall. She sings regularly on the competition circuit in the United States and Europe, placing over seven times in the past three years, including first place in the Partners for the Arts Inc., 9th National Opera Competition in 2022 and was a finalist in the 2023 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition.
Of Edith’s talent, Associate Professor Dr. Deborah Massell shared, “What was most wondrous in working with her at Crane was her sense of fearlessness, and she has carried that into her professional career as well. She is constantly thinking of the text and how best to deliver it and that informs her vocalism in both classical and musical theatre repertoire. She always seemed wise beyond her years and now has become an impressive talent to be reckoned with.”
For more information about SUNY Potsdam’s Alumni Association, visit www.potsdam.edu/alumni.
About SUNY Potsdam:
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.
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