BIOGRAPHY

As a baritone soloist, he has performed in opera, musical theater, oratorio, and in concert.  As a chorister, he has performed with numerous ensembles, including five seasons with the Spiritual Renaissance Singers of Greensboro (NC).

 

His growing body of compositions include vocal, choral, chamber, and orchestral works.  His setting of Claude McKay’s “America” was among the 2021 winners of the Art Song and Vocal Chamber Music Call for Scores by Calliope's Call.

 

His research focuses on topics surrounding pioneering Black classical musicians—their lives, careers, contributions, and compositions.  To that end, he has presented at New York’s Town Hall, and the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, formerly the historic Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia, NC.  Forthcoming is his book, “A Hall for All: Black Classical Musicians at the Town Hall,” which traces the rise to prominence of Black classical musicians, as revealed through their performances at this historic New York venue.  He has also contributed to projects such as the 2022 PBS American Masters documentary, "Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands," and the 2023 Parnassus Records reissue of the 1950’s Schubert lieder recordings of pioneering Black mezzo-soprano, Inez Matthews.

 

For over a decade, he has been affiliated with the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. helping to promote and preserve the music created and performed by Black musicians.  He is past President and current Vice President of the Carol Brice Music Association of North Carolina (a branch of NANM, Inc.), and current Vice President of the Executive Board of the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra.

 

He is a Vocal Performance graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Non-Profit Administration from Louisiana State University-Shreveport.