Everything Rises: A Journey of Reclamation

Join us for an evening with Davóne Tines and Jennifer Koh, as they discuss their collaborative work Everything Rises. The work is a collective exploration of family history—telling the stories of Koh’s mother, Gertrude Soonja Lee Koh, a refugee from North Korea during the Korean War, and Tines’s grandmother, Alma Lee Gibbs Tines, who holds vivid memories of anti-Black discrimination and violence dating back many years. These experiences—of the artists and their families—are both the inspiration for and subject matter of this project. Developed over multiple years by an all-BIPOC creative team including composer Ken Ueno and director Alexander Gedeon, the project powerfully reclaims Koh and Tines’ narratives about who they are and how they got to where they are now. The evening will include video and performed excerpts of the work.

About the Artists:

Heralded as a "singer of immense power and fervor" and “[one] of the most powerful voices of our time” by The Los Angeles Times, the "immensely gifted American bass-baritone Davóne Tines has won acclaim, and advanced the field of classical music" (The New York Times) through his work that blends opera, art song, contemporary classical, spirituals, gospel, and songs of protest, as a means to tell a deeply personal story of perseverance that connects to all of humanity. Called a “next generation leader" by Time Magazine and recently named Musical America’s 2022 Vocalist of the Year, Mr. Tines is a path-breaking artist at the intersection of many histories, cultures, and aesthetics.

Recognized for intense, commanding performances, delivered with dazzling virtuosity and technical assurance, violinist Jennifer Koh is a forward-thinking artist dedicated to exploring a broad and eclectic repertoire, while promoting equity and inclusivity in classical music. She has expanded the contemporary violin repertoire through a wide range of commissioning projects and has premiered more than 100 works written especially for her. Her quest for the new and unusual, sense of endless curiosity, and ability to lead and inspire a host of multidisciplinary collaborators, truly set her apart.

Host or Publisher Harvard University Music Department