The Harlem Opera Festival 2024 - Marcus Garvey Park Edition

Since the Summer of 2018, Harlem Presents has presented the next generation of great opera singers at The Harlem Opera Festival. The tradition continues on Saturday, July 20th from 7:00 pm to 7:45 pm and Saturday, July 27th from 7:00 pm to 7:45 pm.

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Donovan is a Grammy Award winning multi-talented artist. Last season he made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic, returned to English National Opera for It's A Wonderful Life, made two separate debuts as Crown in Porgy and Bess with North Carolina Opera and Opera Carolina, made his debut with Orchestra Iowa singing Verdi's Requiem, performed concerts in tribute to Jules Bledsoe with Harlem Opera, and had three residencies presenting masterclasses and recitals at universities.

In addition to an historic and critically acclaimed opening to the 2021-2022 season performing two lead roles in Terrance Blanchard's, Fire Shut Up In My Bones, the first opera by a black composer produced at New York's Metropolitan Opera in its 138 year history—Donovan made debuts with
Glyndebourne and the BBC Proms. He also portrayed Antron McCray in Anthony Davis' tragic true life story of The Central Park Five—winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Donovan has won numerous national and international competitions including the Metropolitan Opera Grand Finals where he was the youngest male to ever win the competition. He is also the youngest male member accepted into the The Lindemann Young Artist + Juilliard program at the Metropolitan opera. He is a graduate of Stetson University, Mannes Conservatory, Sorbonne Université in Paris, Accademia di Italiano in Milan, and he studied in Vienna, Austria as a representative for the George London Foundation after winning the main prize in The George London vocal Competition.

Manna K. Jones, American Soprano, is known for her dramatic brilliance across opera, classical music, and musical theater. Among her career highlights are performances in the title roles of Madama Butterfly at Carnegie Hall and Suor Angelica with the California Opera Association, internationally as Fiordiligi in Cosí fan tutte and Susanna in La nozze di Figaro with Washington Opera Society. She made her Broadway debut in Rocktopia, a Classical Revolution.

Manna’s American opera roles include portrayals of prominent Black historical women figures such as Nat Turner's mother Nancy in Michael Raphael's Nat Turner - An Opera, Elizabeth Eckford of The Little Rock Nine by Pulitzer Prize winning composer Tania León, and Essie Robeson in the world premier of Adolphus Hailstork's Robeson: The Opera with at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Her distinguished honors include awards and recognitions from: Riccardo Zandonai International Competition, Paris Opera Awards, Benjamin Mathews, Opera Birmingham, and Art Song Preservation Society of NY, and Classical Singer. She is also the winner of an American Prize for Opera and Mid-South District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Manna is featured in the 2022 Naxos documentary film, Global Wagner – From Bayreuth to the World for her work as Brünhilde in Götterdämmerung.

Carami Hilaire is a soulful soprano from Brooklyn, New York who is a graduate of the Professional Studies program at Mannes. Carami has also received awards from both the Wagner Society of New York and the Premiere Opera Competition. She has sung with the Internationale Opernwerkstatt based in Switzerland. She has performed the role of Tosca with both Regina Opera and New Jersey Verismo Opera to rave reviews as well as the roles of Aida in Aida and Musetta in La Boheme. In fall 2020, she sang the role of Alice in Alice in the Pandemic with White Snake Opera projects. In 2022, she sang the soprano solo in Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem, with Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra.

In May, she also performed the role of Circe in “Survivors Odyssey,” which was presented live at Opera America’s Opera Conference. In the fall, she returned to her collaboration with White Snake Opera Projects to sing the role of Tiamat in Cosmic Cowboy, which generated rave reviews. “Indeed, the universe creator and savior Tia, as dramatically sung by Carami Hilaire, unleashed from the magic fires of chaos a Brunhilde for our times…[she] sang with brilliant force and conviction almost continuously.” --Lee Eiseman, The Boston Musical Intelligencer

In the summer of 2023, Ms. Hilaire joined White Snake Projects again to sing the role of Mara the Demon Queen, as well as the Utah Festival Opera to sing the lead role of Aida. “Her low notes are rich and her high notes soar…Hilaire is especially effective at expressing heartache”—Keola Kinghorn, Front Row Reviewers

Praised by Opera News for his “appealingly suave baritone” and the New York Times for a voice that “travels expertly from airy falsetto to basso profundo depths,” Phillip K. Bullock has been featured in operas, recitals, and concerts throughout the United States and Europe. In the 2024–2025 season, Bullock returns to Virginia Opera, where he showcases his facility with new music, singing Theoliver “Jake” Jeter in the world premiere of Damien Geter's Loving vs. Virginia. He also continues as a Resident Singer with the American Opera Project’s Composers and the Voice 2023–2025 cycle, led by Artistic Director Steven Osgood. The 2023–2024 season included a debut with PEAK Performances as Derrick Wheatt in Blind Injustice, as well as a debut with the Eugene Concert Choir and Orchestra, in which he sang the baritone solos in Carmina Burana and Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgis Night.

In recent seasons, Bullock appeared as Zodzetrick in Damien Sneed’s reimagining of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and created the role of God of Love in Long Beach Opera’s 2023 world premiere production of The Romance of the Rose, composed by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Kate Soper. During the summer of 2022, Bullock joined Cincinnati Opera to sing the roles of Cato and Watchman in the world premiere of Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith’s critically acclaimed opera, Castor and Patience, which was voted the Best New Opera of 2022 by The New York Times.

Highlights from previous seasons include international performances of Jake in Porgy and Bess at Semperoper Dresden, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, and in the Royal Danish Opera production in Copenhagen. Bullock has appeared onstage with the Atlanta Opera, Sarasota Opera, Virginia Opera, Kentucky Opera, Maryland Lyric Opera, and St. Petersburg Opera, among others. Favorite roles performed include Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro), Jake Wallace (La Fanciulla del West), Rodrique (Don Carlos), Escamillo (Carmen), Gregorio (Roméo et Juliette), Pistola (Falstaff), Balthazar (Amahl and the Night Visitors), John Brook (Little Women), Valentin (Faust), Papageno (The Magic Flute), Belcore and Dulcamara (l'Elisir d’amore), and Angelotti (Tosca).

On the concert stage, Bullock has appeared as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and the premiere of Diane White-Clayton’s commissioned work Many Mansions, both with Boston Landmarks Orchestra; Dave Brubeck’s Gates of Justice with the Brubeck Trio and University of California Los Angeles orchestras; What Problem? by Bill T. Jones/Nick Hallett with the Bill T. Jones Dance Company & New York Live Arts; and Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with National Music Festival, among other works.

Gregory H. Hopkins was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. He received his advanced education in voice from Temple University and in opera from Curtis Institute of Music. Hopkins has won prizes in competitions, including the Verdi Prize in Busetto, Italy; the Outstanding Tenor Award in Mantova, Italy; the Dealy Award; and the Opera Index Grant.

As a singer, pianist, organist, choral conductor, teacher, and clinician, Hopkins has traveled throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and The Middle East, with recent performances including The Cervantes and Pitic Festivals (Mexico); Orvieto, Rome, and Umbria Festivals (Italy); Vienne Festival (France) and Vitoria-Gasteiz Festival (Spain). Additional performances included Mozarteum (San Juan, Argentina), Teatro Mayor (Bogota, Columbia), Sodre (Montevideo, Uruguay), and Pro Arte (Cordoba, Argentina).

His Harlem Jubilee singers recently completed a tour of Chile with the Concepcion Sym-phony performing Porgy and Bess. He also conducted performances of Gershwin’s “Blue Monday,” Britten’s “The Burning Fiery Furnace” with Harlem Opera Theater, and HL Free-man’s opera “Voodoo.” Earlier this year saw concerts in Argentina and Japan.

Recently Hopkins has been contracted to provide and prepare singers for Martina Arroyo’s “Prelude to a Performance” and Alvin Ailey’s “Revelation” Celebration at Lincoln Center.

Hopkins has served The National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses as Director of Performance Ministries, The Hampton University Minister's Conference as Recital Co-Coordinator, and Gospel Music Workshop of America as Assistant Music Director to the Men's Department.

He has been honored three times to prepare and present musicals for the National Baptist Convention and was musical director for the NAACP's Centennial Celebration. He has also been a choral clinician at Arkansas Baptist College's EC Morris Institute and Ithaca College. For the Million Man March, Minister Farrakhan selected him to sing immediately following the address.

Equally occupied as an educator, he has served on the faculties of the Community College of Philadelphia, Morgan State University, Westminster Choir College, and NY Seminary of the East. Most recently, he was the Coordinator of classical voice and Operatic Activities at Howard University, DC.

For more than a third of a century, he has been Minister of Music for Harlem's Convent Avenue Baptist Church. He is also the Artistic Director of Harlem Opera Theater, the Music Director of the Harlem Jubilee Singers, and the music director of the Cocolo Japanese Gospel Choir.

He is a featured artist on more than 6 commercially released CD projects; one of which was nominated for a Grammy.

With a mission of providing free cultural entertainment for the residents of the village of Harlem, Harlem Presents has five program offerings – “HarlemWeen”, “The Harlem Hoedown”, “The Harlem Opera Festival”, "The Harlem Scary Movie Festival", and "The Harlem Musical Theater Festival".

"HarlemWeen" – presented on every Halloween evening since 2011 – except during SuperStorm Sandy – HarlemWeen is a family-friendly costumed Halloween festival presented on the plaza of the iconic Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building. In addition to a DJ inspired dance party, the afternoon/evening activity includes face-painting, storytelling, “Thriller” dance lessons, and the exhibition of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” on a 25’ inflatable movie screen.

“The Harlem Hoedown” – taking place on the plaza of the Harlem State Office Building occasionally since 2012, this family-friendly activity has square dancing, a caller, and the live music of the Ebony Hillbillies at its core. Additional activities include a mechanical bull and a swamp with live animals.

“The Harlem Opera Festival” – since the Summer of 2018, the Harlem Opera Festival has celebrated the next generation of great opera singers by presenting emerging opera singers of color (mostly) in recital format at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park and the bandshell in Jackie Robinson Park.

"The Harlem Scary Movie Festival" - Saturday, October 29th, 2022 witnessed the first-ever Harlem Scary Movie Festival. Friday, October 27th, 2023 witnessed the second-ever Harlem Scary Movie Festival. The Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park plays host to this terrifying festival.

"The Harlem Musical Theater Festival" - Launched in the Fall of 2023, The Harlem Musical Theater Festival celebrates the next generation of great musical theater artists by presenting emerging musical theater artists of color (more often than not) in concert format. The singers are sourced through a competitive audition process.

Under Artistic Director, Gregory Hopkins, internationally acclaimed tenor, conductor, organist and pianist, Harlem Opera Theater performances include all types of musical offerings: opera, oratory concerts, recitals, Negro Spirituals and varied forms of American music, in keeping with there mission “to provide performance opportunities for professional and developing gifted artists within Harlem and communities where opera is seldom performed; and to cultivate and expand audience appreciation for opera and classical music through creative programming.” Particular focus is given to the works of African-American composers and to projects that link different aspects of the performing arts.

Although the institution behind it was founded in 2001, the Harlem Opera Theater was established in the neighborhood of Harlem, NYC, in 2002. As such, Dr. Gregory Hopkins, the Artistic Director and an internationally acclaimed conductor, tenor, pianist, and organist, took leadership way back in the founding days to incorporate the organization along with his colleagues. Since then, they have organized and presented numerous concerts with approximately 150 singers involved and a combined audience of over 15,000 patrons of the musical arts. Today, they continue their initiatives in guiding and providing new artists with opportunities to shine.

Come for the opera! Stay for the play! The Harlem Opera Festival wraps up at 7:45 pm. At 8:30 pm, the curtain will rise on the Classical Theatre of Harlem's awesome production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Host or Publisher Harlem Presents