Mary Ann Scialdo

Carrollwood, FlMs.Mary Ann Scialdo passed away, July 1, 2010, leaving four generations of music students with a song in their hearts—and a show to put on. Mary Ann was the artistic director at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Ms. Scialdo was born in Yonkers, NY on September 21, 1942. She was raised by dentist Joseph Scialdo and his wife, Camille, a pianist. She started playing the piano at age 2 and played her first concert in New York at age 6. She won a scholarship to the prestigious Juilliard School Pre-College Division at age 5 and continued there until she was 15. Mary Ann Scialdo first studied with her mother, pianist Camille George Scialdo, and at age six was awarded a full scholarship to the Juilliard Pre-College and received a full scholarship to Seton Hill University, where she won both the Pittsburgh Young Artist's Competition and the National Federation of Music Club's Competition. She made her debut recital in Pittsburgh as a soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Ms. Scialdo received a rarely-awarded personal fellowship from Francis Cardinal Spellman to the Pius XII Graduate School of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy, where she obtained her M.S. in performance. Doctoral studies were continued at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. Mary Ann holds graduate and under graduate degrees from the Julliard School of Music, Seton Hill University, Manhattan School of Music, Fordham Univrsity, Pius XII Graduate School of Fine Arts in Florence Italy. Ms. Scialdo studied extensively in Italy and Russa. After returning home to New York, she married advertising executive Charles A. Ortenblad, III. The marriage lasted about 25 years, until his death in the 1980's. In the mid 1990's, she went to Russia as a guest of the government. Ms. Scialdo moved from New York, where she spent decades teaching music in Westchester County, to Northdale in 1999, where she played the piano and organ at Keystone United Methodist Church for about a decade. She is survived by her sister, Vicki Cuccia. Friends and relatives are invited to attend her graveside service on Monday, October 18, 2010 at 1:30 in Calvary Cemetery, Herkimer, NY. Her funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Petykiewicz, Iocovozzi & Burns Funeral Home, Herkimer. Expressions of sympathy may be placed on Mary Ann's online memorial page by going to www.iocovozzifuneralhomes.com