Second Year of Shared Voices Partnership Brings New Cohort of Aspiring Singers to the Met on February 28
The immersive day-long program includes a master class, panel discussion, meet-and-greet with the Lindemann Young Artists, and exclusive access to a dress rehearsal
New York, NY (February 12, 2025)— The Metropolitan Opera continues its partnership with the Denyce Graves Foundation’s Shared Voices program, the student-exchange initiative that brings together elite historically Black colleges and universities and America’s preeminent conservatories and institutions, for a second year. On Friday, February 28, a new cohort of 18 students will participate in an immersive day-long program at the Met.
This year, activities include a “Behind the Curtain” panel discussion led by distinguished industry professionals about career pathways connected to the performing arts, exclusive access to a dress rehearsal of Beethoven’s Fidelio, a conversation with current members of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, and a master class with Thomas Lausmann, the Met’s Director of Music Administration.
“Programs like Shared Voices are critical to the health and vibrancy of opera’s future,” said Michael Heaston, the Met’s Deputy General Manager. “Aspiring singers deserve our support as they navigate a complex operatic landscape, and we look forward to being a helping hand that shapes them into artists appearing on major stages in the future.”
Members of the inaugural Shared Voices cohort went on to perform at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Seattle Opera, Houston Grand Opera Studio, and the Tanglewood Music Festival. Mezzo-soprano Hannah Jones, a member of the inaugural Shared Voices cohort, is currently in her first year in the Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, where she performed as part of the Met’s 2024 Summer Parks Recital Series and made her company debut as one of the Voices of the Unborn Children in this season’s revival of Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten.
“I count it a great honor to have been a part of the inaugural cohort of Shared Voices. This program opened so many doors for me. They supported me during the audition process for the Lindemann program, and their unending support has taken me across the globe, showcased me on national television, and landed me in the most elite young artist program in the country,” said Jones. “Though it has only been a few months since I’ve been a Lindemann young artist, my voice and my artistry has grown exponentially. I am humbled to be a part of such a vibrant legacy at the Met and grateful to Shared Voices for creating a program for young artists to dream and achieve our goals on a grand scale”
In addition to the events happening at the Met, on March 1 the new Shared Voices cohort will participate in Sounds of Hope, a concert celebrating the legacy of Black composers and timeless classics of the operatic repertoire. The singers will present songs by legendary Black composers like Margaret Bonds, Roland Carter, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and Harry T. Burleigh, alongside beloved pieces by Puccini, Gershwin, Strauss, and more. Co-hosted by the Harlem Chamber Players, New Heritage Theatre Group, and City College Center of the Arts, the concert’s program weaves a tapestry of music showcasing both trailblazing works that have often been overlooked and cherished classics that continue to inspire. Tickets are free, but registration is required. For more information, click here.
About the Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera has launched many initiatives designed to make opera more accessible, most prominently the award-winning Live in HD series of cinema transmissions—now in its 18th season—which dramatically expands the Met audience by presenting select live performances in movie theaters in more than 60 countries around the world. The Met is one of the nation’s leading performing arts organizations and a vibrant home for the world’s most creative and talented artists, including singers, conductors, composers, orchestra musicians, stage directors, designers, visual artists, choreographers, and dancers. Each season, the company presents approximately 200 performances of a wide variety of operas, ranging from beloved audience favorites to bold new works by living composers.
About Shared Voices
Shared Voices, the flagship program of the Denyce Graves Foundation, is the unprecedented collaboration between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and top conservatories and schools of music in the United States. This innovative initiative is designed to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion across the musical spectrum. Through classes, individual lessons, coaching, rehearsals, performances, and peer-to-peer exchanges, participants are able to expand their cultural horizons, develop networks, and gain new insights into potential opportunities for a fulfilling career. These singers will take ownership of their career trajectories in a classical vocal arts landscape, and one that reflects the diverse world in which we live.