Today, it’s Midday on the Arts. We begin with a conversation about a program designed to help further the educations and careers of young people of color in classical music. It’s called Shared Voices, and it connects students studying at HBCUs with the top schools of music and conservatories across the country.

It is the brainchild of Denyce Graves, one of the most acclaimed opera singers of her generation. As a performer, teacher and the founder and artistic director of the Denyce Graves Foundation, she has been a fierce advocate for artists of color, and a leader in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in classical music.

Denyce Graves is the Rosa Ponselle Distinguished Faculty Artist in Voice at Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Institute here in Baltimore. She also teaches at the Julliard School in New York City, and at the University of Toronto. She joins us on Zoom…

And with Tom in the studio is JoyAnne Amani Richardson. She’s an acclaimed pianist, composer and conductor, who serves as the Music Director of the Denyce Graves Foundation. 

(Photo credit: Denyce Graves-Montgomery by Devon Cass)

Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.