Black Leadership Arts Collective To Host Recital And Gala At The Lyric Opera Of Chicago

Members of Black Leadership Arts Collective (B.L.A.C.) will present Echoes of Excellence on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Photo provided by AppreyPR.
Members of Black Leadership Arts Collective (B.L.A.C.) will present Echoes of Excellence on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Photo provided by AppreyPR.

Black Leadership Arts Collective To Host Recital And Gala At The Lyric Opera Of Chicago

By Tia Carol Jones

An organization that supports Black classical musicians is partnering with the Lyric Opera of Chicago to present a recital and gala. Echoes of Excellence: Celebrating the Legacy of Chicago’s Black Voices will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8ths, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, located at 20 N. Wacker Drive.


The Black Leadership Arts Collective (BLAC) was formally founded in 2023. It began in 2021, with the founding members who wanted to gather Black musicians and Black classical vocalists after the pandemic because they saw a need for people to reconnect and reestablish community. The first event was a cookout in New York City, called the Cousins Cookout. During the event, they realized the younger musicians had a lot of questions and concerns for the elders in the organization. Because of the success of the first event, the founders decided to include a masterclass component for the young singers.


The Black Leadership Arts Collective provides mentorship and scholarships to young Black classical artists. Alyson Cambridge is the Executive Director of the Black Leadership Arts Collective. She said the organization has grown exponentially since it was founded in 2023. The organization continues to do the cookout and hosted its most recent event in August. The organization hosts masterclasses in New York City and at different colleges and universities across the country.


The mentorship and scholarship program began in 2025 and four young women participated in the program. Those young women receive one-on-one mentorship from a BLAC board member, they attend online career panels, and their voice lessons, coaching, travel and auditions are paid for by the organization. Cambridge said the organization wanted to be able to provide financial support to the young women musicians because it can be very expensive. The mentees also attended a performance at the New York Metropolitan Opera, a live in-person career panel and had a photoshoot.


Several of the BLAC board members performed at the Lyric Opera and were familiar with Afton Battle, who was the Vice President of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Battle was instrumental in bringing the recital and gala to the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Cambridge credited Battle with making it happen and for bringing BLAC to the Lyric.


“Because we are an organization that celebrates and supports Black classical vocal artists, we felt it would be fitting because we would be in Chicago to pay tribute to the great Operatic legends who have inspired us,” Cambridge said.


Cambridge said that while the members of BLAC have had long and illustrious careers, their careers would not be possible without Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman, Grace Bumbry, George Shirley and so many other incredible legends. She added that she and the members hope they will have the same kind of lasting impact on the young artists the organization supports.


The 75-minute recital will include artists Angela Brown, soprano; Alyson Cambridge, soprano; Jacqueline Echols, soprano; Laquita Mitchell, soprano; Lucia Bradford, mezzo-soprano; Limmie Pulliam, tenor; Issachah Savage, tenor; Chaz’men Williams-Ali, tenor; Lester Lynch, baritone; Kenneth Overton, baritone; Reginald Smith Jr., baritone; Kevin Short, bass; and Kevin Miller, pianist. The artists will perform operas from composers including Verdi, Bellini, Massenet, Bizet and Puccini, along with works from Black composers. The recital will pay tribute to Kathleen Battle, Leontyne Price and George Shirley.


 “We are very pleased to partner with B.L.A.C. on Echoes of Excellence. This recital aligns beautifully with Lyric’s mission to celebrate diverse voices and stories on our stage and in our community, and to integrate that work across the company — especially through an outstanding roster of artists whose talent and impact continue to elevate and inspire,” John Mangum, General Director, President & CEO of Lyric Opera of Chicago, said in a release.


Cambridge said it is important to have Black representation in classical music because when people see it, they believe they can also do it. She said to see it and behold it for themselves in person, is powerful. She remembered seeing Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman in concert, even singing in the background children’s chorus and witnessing the greatness of Norman’s voice and presence. She remembered her first day in the Young Artists Program at the New York Metropolitan Opera and meeting Morris Robinson who told her, “Sis, I got you.” She said in the moment, she didn’t realize what he meant until she realized there were maybe four Black singers in the building at any given time.


Cambridge said that while 25 years later, there is more representation of Black classical music artists, there is still a need for family, understanding and mentorship. She said the power of what people will behold on Nov. 8th at the recital, cannot be overstated. She said there has never been a concert like this anywhere, where there will be 12 of the top Black opera singers and the top Black pianists in the world, all on one stage together.


Tickets range from $49-$85. To purchase tickets, visit lyricopera.org/Echoes. For more information about the Black Leadership Arts Collective, visit www.blackleadershipartscollective.org.

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