Board President
Patrick Dailey has been described as possessing “a powerful and elegant countertenor voice” (Los Angeles Daily News) and a “VOCAL STANDOUT” (Boston Classical Review). He has appeared in leading roles with the Grand Rapids Symphony, Opera Memphis, Pacific Opera Project, Tete a Tete New Opera Festival(UK), Austin Baroque Orchestra, Shreveport Opera, Opera Louisiane, Woodhouse Opera Festival(UK), Il Festival de Ópera Barroca de Belo Horizonte (Brazil) and many others.
Read MoreBoard Vice-President, Dir. of Development
Detroit native Sequina DuBose is a stunning performer most noted for her engaging stage presence and charming musical style.
Ms. DuBose’s repertoire displays her versatility in a variety of comic and dramatic roles. Recently, she debuted as a soloist and ensemble member in Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey, a concert series which culminated in a performance at the Metropolitan Opera with Kathleen Battle.
Read MoreBoard Secretary
Michigan-born soprano, Iris Fordjour-Hankins is a graduate of Oakwood University, Boston University and is in the final stages of doctoral work in voice at the University of Kentucky. Formerly, Iris taught music for the Detroit Public Schools but is now an assistant professor of voice at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama.
Read MoreBoard Member
Ms. Burt is currently Executive Director of the Dunbar Historic Neighborhood Association. Their mission is to preserve the cultural history of the city’s most prominent African American where landmarks, homes and businesses reside. Those great landmarks and former residents include Attorney Scipio A. Jones (Home), Composer Florence B. Price (Home), Businessman John E. Bush (Founder, Mosaic Templar of America), and Attorney Milflin Gibbs (First Black judge in the country). She also, oversees the administration, programming, and strategic plan of the DHNA including fundraising, marketing, and community outreach.
Read MorePresident Emeritus
Tenor, scholar, cultural activist, and pedagogue Dr. Elektra Voyante (they/them/their) [formerly known as Dr. Marquese Carter] has distinguished themself as a force for change in the world of classical music. Dr. Voyante’s research on the art songs of Florence Price has been featured in numerous forums including the Society for American Music conference and the New York Times. Archival research for their dissertation The Poet and Her Songs: Analyzing the Art Songs of Florence B. Price was generously funded by the American Musicological Society Thomas Hampson Fund grant for song research. Voyante served as president of the International Florence Price Festival, where they curated and administered the first Virtual Florence Price Festival in 2020.
Read MoreBoard Member
Christine Jobson, Jamaican-American soprano, has performed in Spain, Portugal, Austria, Russia, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and throughout the United States. Recently, Dr. Jobson sang in the chorus and was a featured soloist at the Metropolitan Opera for their Grammy award winning production of Porgy and Bess. She also won another Grammy as a member the Met’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones production. She made her Russian debut at the Music Hall Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess Suite.
Read MoreBoard Member
Turkish mezzo-soprano and Fulbright alumna Dr. Lori Şen is known for her versatility in many vocal genres, including opera, art song, musical theatre, and jazz, as well as for her teaching and research interests in vocal literature, voice pedagogy, and voice science. Lori regularly collaborates with musicians and composers across a variety of genres, and has performed in Turkey, Europe, and the United States.
Read MoreBoard Member
Douglas Shadle joined the Blair School of Music as Assistant Professor of Musicology in 2014. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in musicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.M. in viola performance from the University of Houston.
Read MoreBoard Member
A very active violinist in the region, Samuel appears regularly with the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra and is currently a member of the Colour of Music Virtuosi, a twenty-member chamber orchestra comprised of African-American instrumentalists from across the United States, and for two seasons served as one of the concertmasters of the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre.
Read MoreEmeritus Board Member
Praised by the New Orleans Times-Picayune for his “strong and moving performance,” tenor Daniel E. Sampson brings inspiration and expression every time he sings. A passionate educator and director, Daniel has taught at all levels of music education, from working with young students, to the collegiate level. He currently serves as the Director of Liturgical Music at St. Agnes and St. William of York Catholic Church in Baltimore.
Read MoreEmeritus Board Member
Jordan Randall Smith is the Music Director of Symphony Number One, Assistant Conductor at Johns Hopkins University's Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, and conductor at Opus Concert Theatre. Jordan has led 40 world premieres, recorded six albums, and is a contributor to Baltimore Magazine.
Read MoreEmeritus Board Member
Pianist, Elizabeth G. Hill, DMA, is an accomplished soloist, chamber musician, orchestral pianist, and educator. Her notable concert appearances include performances for the Embassy Concert Series in Washington DC, the Center for Jewish History in New York, and the Robert-Schumann-Haus in Zwickau, Germany. She is the co-founder of Meraki, a chamber ensemble devoted to awakening cultural compassion through music.
Read MoreEmeritus Board Member
Jonathan has served as Music Director of the Buckeye Philharmonic Orchestra, a student-run ensemble on the campus of The Ohio State University. In 2017, Jonathan was named conducting fellow for the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra and the winner of the Respighi Prize in Conducting at age 22.
Read MoreArtistic Advisor
As far back as 2002, John and the Fort Smith Symphony were recognized by the League of American Orchestras for their outstanding work with John being the recipient of the League’s Helen M. Thompson Award “in recognition of outstanding artistic leadership.”
Read MoreArtistic Advisor, Scholar
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Kori Hill holds a M.M. in music history and music performance from West Virginia University and a B.M. in music performance from Miami University. Kori’s research interests include, the history of the violin/fiddle in African…
Read MoreArtistic Advisor
Er-Gene Kahng has been a leading figure in reviving the works of Florence Price. Her premiere recording of Price's two violin concerti has been released through Albany Records, and has been cited by The New Yorker, the New York Times, and NPR as an important contribution to American classical music.
Read MoreBoard Member
Douglas Shadle joined the Blair School of Music as Assistant Professor of Musicology in 2014. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in musicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.M. in viola performance from the University of Houston.
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