Christina Sanzotti Savannah, Bassoon

Christina Sanzotti Savannah grew up in Butler in a family that appreciated, supported, and participated in the arts. Growing up hearing piano, clarinet, and saxophone lessons in the house, music seemed to be an obvious career. After attending Butler Senior High School, Chris attended Shenandoah University for two years and Indiana University of Pennsylvania for two years, completing a bachelor’s degree in music education. After teaching for a year, Chris went on to Bowling Green State University to complete a master of music education degree.

In 1988 she married Michael Savannah, also a Butlerite, who was a U.S. Navy officer and moved eight times in the next 15 years, settling back in Butler in 2003. Together they have two daughters. One works at the University of Chicago in music administration, and one is an equine veterinary assistant in Denver, Colorado.

Chris has played the piano and woodwinds for the Butler Musical Theatre Guild and several churches over the years and has been teaching private piano since she was in high school. Chris was the director of music at St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Saxonburg for 13 years. She is the second bassoonist with the Butler County Symphony Orchestra and sits on its board of directors.

Chris’s dream is that every child has the opportunity to study music in all of their school years so that we produce caring, intelligent individuals who create great communities.