WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Jan. 20, 2004 – Williams College announces the appointment of Greg Pliska as the Arthur Levitt, Jr., ’52 Artist-in-Residence in Theatre for the spring semester of 2004.

Widely recognized for his broad stylistic range, Pliska is particularly skilled in contemporary music, both popular and classical. In addition to working as a composer, arranger, conductor, and musical director, he also has held a variety of educational roles and has worked with young people around the world.

In 2000, "In a Lake of Fire," a musical-theater production Pliska co-created, won the New England Theatre Conference's Moss Hart Memorial Award. The award is given for the promotion of artistic growth and the development of excellence in theater. The piece is based on the story of Susan Smith of South Carolina, who, in the fall of 1994, allowed her car to roll into a lake with her infant and toddler sons strapped down in the back seat.

In addition to his writing, Pliska has composed music for a wide variety of productions, including "HeartSongs" in 1995, "Verisimilitude" in 1996, and "Confidentially Yours" in 1997. As an orchestrator and arranger, he has worked with a broad array of productions, including the Broadway production of "The Jungle Book" for Theaterworks USA and the New Victory Theater as well as the Candy Simon opera/album of "Romulus Hunt" for Angel Records and the Metropolitan Opera.

As an arts educator, Pliska has also spent many years with prestigious institutions such as the Manhattan School of Music, the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, and the International Schools Theatre Association. His publications include the 1993 children’s songbook "Praise for the Singing" and work with the Metropolitan Opera Choruses for Young Voices.

Pliska earned his B.A. from Williams in 1984, as a music and English double major.

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Williams College is consistently ranked one of the nation's top liberal arts colleges. The college’s 2,000 students are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their undergraduate teaching. The achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in research. Admission decisions are made regardless of a student’s financial ability, and the college provides grants and other assistance to meet the demonstrated needs of all who are admitted. Founded in 1793, it is the second oldest institution of higher learning in Massachusetts. The college is located in Williamstown, Mass. To visit the college on the Internet: www.williams.edu