Lisette Atiyeh


As an opera singer, arts/culture journalist, English tutor, voice artist, actress, amateur tanguera, and all-around “diva,” Lisette Atiyeh definitely resides within the creative realm of our human microcosm. After receiving a Bachelor of Music in voice performance and a Master of Arts in English literature from the University of Maryland, College Park, Lisette began pursuing a career as an arts/culture journalist and critic. As such, she has written for local and international papers and magazines such as DC’s Hill Rag, Virginia’s Northern Virginia Magazine, and Lebanon’s Daily Star, the latter being a sister publication of the International Herald Tribune. Likewise, Ms. Atiyeh has interviewed both local artists and celebrities, including DC painter Joe Ruffin and singer-songwriter Paul Anka. As a performer and vocalist, Lisette has assembled a repertoire of composers and playwrights as disparate as Baroque opera writer Francesca Caccini, Mozart, Puccini, Brahms, Henri Duparc, 20th century art song composer Celius Dougherty, Cole Porter, Frank Wildhorn, Horton Foote, David Raine, and Shakespeare, to name a few. There are probably just as many characters as these inhabiting Lisette’s artistic mind. As an impressionist, she mimics celebrities such as Mae West, Billie Holiday, Ethel Merman, and Rosemary Clooney, and specializes in French, Mexican, Russian, Irish, British, and various North American dialects, among others. Objective: To put my education, training, and experience to good use in helping middle/high school and college students to understand, appreciate, and write about, European and American literature. I also wish to encourage and nurture young authors, assisting them in honing their natural talents. EXPERIENCE 2005-PresentFreelance Arts/Culture Journalist, Critic Internationally published: • Daily Star of Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon (Articles/Interviews on/with Paul Anka, Reem Acra, and Elie Saab) • Capital Community News, Washington, DC: Hill Rag, DC North, East of the River (Music, theater, painting, dance) • Two Mundos magazine, Washington, DC (Music) • Northern Virginia Magazine, McLean, VA (Fashion) • Globo Online, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Music reviews translated into Portuguese; http://oglobo.globo.com/blogs/antonio) • Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, Fairfax, VA (Interviewer and researcher) • Shoutmouth.com (Music) CurrentlyEnglish Tutor • English literature, comprehension and writing CurrentlyAuthor • Children’s book, ages 6-8 Aug. - Dec. 2008Editor-in-Chief, Stylishbehavior.com • Writer, editor, and marketing manager of fashion blog June - July 2008Writer, Stylishbehavior.com • Blogging, trend and advice-related fashion articles 2007 - July 2008Visitors Services Representative, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC • Interfacing with visitors (handling art questions, phone inquiries, admissions, assisting French customers) and Corcoran staff; linguistic/editing consultant for managerial written materials July - Dec. 2007Writing/marketing, Shoutmouth.com • Writing music news stories, artist biographies, and commentaries; promoting the site; moderating forums; brainstorming feature stories for site’s new direction 2006 - 2007Biographical writing • Harpist/pianist Anastasia Pike’s web biographer/editor (www.annapike.com) June - July 2000Assistant Archivistto Kim Tomadjoglou American Film Institute, Washington, DC • Viewing and cataloguing 16 mm films, summarizing and entering plots into Quadrastar Database System, and handling phone calls and research queries. May - June 2000Research Assistant to Dr. Jonathan Auerbach, English Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD • Researching early film at the Library of Congress using microfilm, magazines, laserdisc, and Steenbeck for Dr. Auerbach's article. Spring 1997Assistant to Artistic Director and Manager, Rick Davis and Kevin Murray, Theatre of the First Amendment, George Mason Univ., Fairfax, VA • Scheduling auditions, manning phones, handling audition scripts, attending and critiquing auditions, summarizing plays for competition, helping to organize theater library, organizing headshots into categories Volunteer Reporter 1997· The Connection, Fairfax County Journal, Fairfax, VA (Articles/interviews on local authors) 1996· The Oakton/Vienna Connection, Vienna, VA (Reporting on major events/activities at Flint Hill School for semi-monthly column) EDUCATION May 2004M.A., English Language and Literature May 2002B.A., English Literature (Creative Writing), Cum Laude May 2002B.M., Voice Performance (Opera), Cum Laude University of Maryland, College Park, MD SKILLS *Teaching* • English literature (Medieval European through 20th century American) • Writing (Editor-in-chief/mentor of writers) *Languages* • English, Arabic, conversational French, familiar with Italian • Vocal diction: German, Italian, French, Russian, Latin, English *Computer* • Windows, WordPerfect, MS Word, familiar with Excel and PowerPoint • Research databases: WORLDCAT, MLA Bibliography, Quadrastar • Ticketmaster system *Editing* • Style, content • Familiar with APA, Chicago, MLA, AP styles AFFILIATIONS/AWARDS • Phi Beta Kappa • Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society, UMD • National Society of Collegiate Scholars • Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society • Golden Key National Honor Society • University Honors Program, 1998-2002 • Academic Excellence Award, English Literature, 2002 • 1st Place, Advanced French Category for Oral Recitation, Thirteenth Modern Language Tournament, 1996 INTERESTS • Theater (performing and attending) • Voice acting (impressions, accents) • Classic films • Dance (Argentine tango and Latin) • Favorite artistic movements/styles: Pre-Raphaelite, Art Nouveau, Art Deco • International travel • Cooking (international cuisine) WORKSHOPS *Writing* • Creative Non-Fiction with Michael Olmert, University of MD 2004 (1 semester) • Independent Study in Creative Writing with Joyce Kornblatt, UMD 2003 (1 semester) • Creative Writing Workshops, UMD, 4 workshops, 1997-2002 (4 semesters) *Theater/Acting* • Voice-Over Marketing, Mike Weiner, Olney, MD, 2005 (5 hours) • Opera Overture, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, 1999 (2 weeks) • Acting Shakespeare for Young People, Ethan McSweeney, Assistant Director, Shakespeare Theatre Co., The Lansburgh, Washington, D.C., 1996 (2 weeks) • Stage Techniques for Young Singers, American University, Washington, D.C., 1996 (2 weeks) PERFORMANCES *Vocal* • Tango/Latin mini-recital, pending • Senior Solo Vocal Recital, Performing Arts Center, UMD (1 hr.), 2001 • Junior Solo Vocal Recital, Tawes Fine Arts Building, UMD (1 hr.), 2000 • Vocal Solo at Flint Hill School's Olson Theater, 1997 • Vocal Solo, Graduation Ceremony, 1997 • Wizard of Oz (Glinda), 1996 • Murder at Rick's (Opera singer Gloria Evans, group composition), 1995 *Instrumental* • Piano Student Recitals (Participation 1993-6) • Clarinet performances (Band concerts and festivals, 1990-3) *Theater* • Love's Labours Lost, William Shakespeare (Narrator, Secondary School Shakespeare Festival, Folger Library) • Four Little Words, Edward Finnegan (Southern Belle) • The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Shakespeare (Outlaw, Secondary School Shakespeare Festival, Folger Library) • A Case of Belonging, Jan Allred (Government Girl) • When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet, Charles George (Cleopatra) • A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare (Singing Fairy) • End of the Tunnel, David Raine (Kris McCready, supporting role) • The Dancers, Horton Foote (Mary Catherine Davis, female lead)