Thomas Witakowski is a native of Buffalo who returned to Western New York to join the Buffalo State faculty after teaching in Ohio. He studied conducting at Indiana University with Robert Porco and Jan Harrington, early music performance practice with Thomas Binkley and Stanley Ritchie, and voice with Nicolo Rossi-Lemeni. While at Indiana, he served as opera chorusmaster, undergraduate conducting instructor, and assistant to the Pro Arte Early Music Ensemble.

He sang several leading roles with the Indiana Opera Theatre, including Alberich in Wagner's Das Rheingold, Nick Shadow in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, and Bottom in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Eve. As a graduate student, he was awarded an Exchange Fellowship to study at Warsaw University for a full year in order to complete research on his dissertation, "The Choral Music of Karol Szymanowski."

Witakowski taught studio voice and presents recitals both at Buffalo State and in the Western New York Community. He was the bass soloist for performances of Rossini's Stabat Mater and Faure's Requiem with area choral ensembles. In 2004, Witakowski was elected the National Director of the Polish Singers Alliance of America, a union of the leading Polish ethnic choirs of the United States and Canada.

He conducted the Chopin Singing Society of Buffalo for several years and serves as the organist and choir director of St. Casimir's Church in Buffalo. He also serves at St. Gabriel’s in Elma.

Dr. Witakowski has recently been appointed conductor of the Cheektowaga Community Symphony Orchestra, as well as serving as the music director/conductor of the Amherst Chamber Ensembles Orchestra.