Now more than ever, opera artists are developing skills outside of their original specialty that can be used offstage to supplement their careers as artists. Join Opera NexGen for Generation NOW: Portfolio Artist Power Panel to hear from three guest speakers who have broadened their horizons in the arts while still maintaining a fulfilling performing career. 

This webinar is sponsored by Jérôme Moisand. Jérôme is a proud sponsor of the arts and Opera NexGen, and we are grateful for his contribution.

More on LaRob K. Rafael

Activist, Artist, Host

A native of Temple Hills, Maryland, Bass-Baritone, LaRob K. Payton developed a love for singing at an early age. He found a spirit in the Gospel songs he sang, passion in the R&B he heard, and nuance in the Classical music he studied.

A graduate of DePaul University where he received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, LaRob has studied with world-renowned teachers, directors, and coaches and has had musical opportunities that include traveling internationally to study language, culture, and music in Urbania, Italy (Musica Nelle Marche) and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (Istituto de Bel Canto).

As an Arts Administrative Specialist, he concurrently works at Lyric Opera of Chicago in the Learning and Creative Engagement Department, sits on the Board of La Caccina as Diversity and Community Engagement Advisor, and is an active consultant with the recently formed Black Opera Alliance and Black Administrators of Opera groups.

LaRob continues to sing around the Chicago area (William Ferris Chorale/North Shore Baptist Church) and is the Founder and Artistic Director of Hearing in Color. LaRob also uses his voice to connect people from different communities as a newly appointed host of Chicago's Classical music station, WFMT (98.7 FM) to continue decentralizing the predominantly white, European, male-centered classical consciousness.

To learn more about LaRob K. Rafael, visit www.larobkrafael.com

More on Dr. Lori Celeste Hicks

Educator, Composer, Coach

Dr. Lori Celeste Hicks; singer, composer, vocal coach, professor, and arts administrator; serves as the Chair of Humanities and Performing Arts at her Alma Mater, Kentucky State University.

Dr. Hicks has moved audiences with her warm voice, magnetic personality, spiritual arrangements, and soulful compositions. As the creator of the “5S Vocal Method,” Dr. Hicks has presented numerous workshops and masterclasses on healthy singing techniques and exercises to singers and speakers of all ages, vocal styles, and skillsets, particularly in Gospel and Musical Theater.

Her lecture workshop, “From The Black Church To The Opera Stage: Transforming Students from the Gospel Belt to The Classical Sound” presented at the 2018 National Association Of Teachers of Singing (NATS) National Conference. Her recital series, “Music of My Voice: A Portrayal of the African American Experience through Classical Music: In Stage, Song, and Spirit” is a multimedia presentation of songs and arias by black composers which continues to be performed at universities and churches all over.

Her debut CD, “Music Of My Voice” released In 2014, is a collection of spirituals and songs all composed, arranged, and performed by Dr. Hicks. 2011 marked a pivotal year for Dr. Hicks, becoming the youngest composer commissioned by the Negro Spiritual Scholarship Foundation (NSSF), and making her much-anticipated Carnegie Hall debut, singing Robert Ray’s Gospel Mass. Since, she has returned to the Carnegie Hall stage with the professional voices of the EXIGENCE ensemble and the SPHINX organization.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Hicks holds a Bachelors of Music Education from Kentucky State University, a Masters of Music from Bowling Green State University, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

To learn more about Lori Celeste Hicks, visit www.lchstudios.com

More on Dr. Tiffany Renée Jackson

Vocalist, Pedagogue, Fitness Consultant

Dr. Tiffany Renée Jackson is a groundbreaking, highly recognized classical and jazz singer, bodybuilder, nutrition specialist, and teacher. She was raised in New Haven, CT where she attended the Educational Center for the Arts before earning her Bachelor of Music from the University of Michigan, Master of Music and Artist Diploma from Yale University, Professional Studies Degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and a Doctoral of Musical Arts from the University of Connecticut.

Dr. Tiffany Renee Jackson has an extensive, lauded signing career, spanning both classical and jazz. In the classical arena, after honing her craft with the Houston Grand Opera Studio, she sang with orchestras and symphonies around the world in Norway, Slovenia, Germany, and others as part of her Metropolitan Opera Study Grant and has been a featured soloist with many Symphony Orchestras including National Philharmonic Orchestra, Gotham City Orchestra, New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Greater Bridgeport Symphony, and many others. She sings in premier festivals such as Tanglewood, Ravinia, and Aspen Music Festivals and in many of the world’s top venues including Carnegie Hall, making her debut in 2005. In addition, she has worked with and appeared with many internationally recognized artists.

In the jazz world, Dr. Jackson is known for her interpretations of the music of Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington. She has appeared at the Blue Note NYC and Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Dr. Jackson can be heard on recordings with Emmy Award-winning pianist, composer, and educator, Dr. Rex Cadwallader.

She has also received Certifications as a Sports Nutrition Specialist and Personal Trainer and brought her talents together in 2011 when she appeared on “America’s Got Talent”, performing as “Necessarydiva” the opera singing bodybuilder! These diverse paths led Dr. Jackson to create a one woman show, “From the Hood to the Ivy League” and establish a nonprofit organization, “Gift Purpose Passion Project Inc.” that helps students to hone their gifts, discover their purpose and nurture their passion. In addition, through her non-profit, this project will endeavor to provide resources to gifted musicians in underrepresented communities.

Recent performances include a virtual performance of her one woman show at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford, CT and Beechwood Arts in Westport, CT, the home of world renowned pianist, Frederic Chiu.

To learn more about Tiffany Renee Jackson, visit www.necessarydiva.net