Presented in partnership with Seattle Opera

Northwest African American Museum and Seattle Opera present “A Night at the Opera: Celebrating Black Voices".

**Due to winter storm warnings, this event has been rescheduled for March 20 at 7:30pm. All previously purchased tickets will be credited toward the new event date.**

*Opera meets drive-in theater at this unique event co-presented by the Northwest African American Museum and Seattle Opera. You'll hear acclaimed vocalists from the opera stage in a video recital presented in drive-in format on the big screen, with introductions by Seattle Opera Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Naomi André. The program features a breadth of music from beloved arias to traditional hymns in celebration of Black voices in classical music.

 Join us for an evening of elegance as we enjoy performances from contemporary, Black singers. The featured voices range from soprano to baritone, and the performance pieces highlight and celebrate Black history.

Note: This event will operate just like a drive-in movie. Upon arrival, an attendant will check your ticket. You will then be guided to a parking space (larger vehicles will be guided towards the back so they do not block anyone’s view). You will be able to tune into an FM radio station to hear the audio from the filmed concert.

The Performers:

Frederick Ballentine, Tenor

Hailing from Norfolk, Virginia, promising young tenor Frederick Ballentine is a recent graduate of Washington National Opera's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, and the Los Angeles Opera’s Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program.

During the 2019-2020 season, Mr. Ballentine made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera as Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess, which he also sings in a return to Washington National Opera.

He creates the role of Judah in the world premiere of Gregory Spears’s Castor and Patience with Cincinnati Opera, returns to Los Angeles Opera as Monastatos in Die Zauberflöte, and to Seattle Opera as Charlie Parker in Charlie Parker’s Yardbird. He also makes his debut with the New Jersey Symphony for Handel's Messiah. Future seasons include additional performances with the Metropolitan Opera.

Damien Geter, Bass-Baritone

Damien is a diverse artist whose credits include performances ranging from the operatic stage to the television screen. Damien's 2019-2020 season includes appearances with the Metropolitan Opera (Undertaker in Porgy and Bess), Seattle Opera (Colonel in The Rising and the Falling), Eugene Opera (Angelotti in Tosca), Resonance Ensemble, and Third Angle New Music (Sanctuaries.) Damien's 2018-2019 included appearances with Seattle Opera in the role of the Undertaker, and covering the role of Jake in Porgy and Bess; and a debut with Vashon Opera in the role of Colline in La Boheme. Damien returned to Portland Opera in the fall of 2018 in the role of Dr. Grenville in Verdi's La Traviata.

He is the owner of DG Music, Sans Fear Publishing.

Jasmine Habersham, Soprano

American soprano, Jasmine Habersham is a versatile and dynamic performing artist. Jasmine’s 2019-20 season included Adina in L’elisir d’amore (Phoenicia Festival of Voice), Sarah Ruth in Edward Tulane, (World Premiere; Minnesota Opera), and Frasquita in Carmen (European Debut; Gran Teatre del Liceu).

In 2018-19, Jasmine’s season including singing Pip in Moby Dick (Opera San Jose), the world premiere of Katie Jackson in The Fix (Minnesota Opera), Clara in Porgy and Bess and Adina in L’elisir d’amore (The Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice).

An avid performer of new works, Jasmine has premiered the role of Mariola in Jake Heggie/Gene Scheer’s Out of Darkness: Two Remain (Atlanta Opera). She has also appeared as Pip in Moby Dick (Utah Opera), Pamina in The Magic Flute (Opera Theater St. Louis: Opera on the Go) Papagena in Die Zauberflöte (Cincinnati Opera and Glimmerglass Festival), Yum Yum in the The Mikado (Kentucky Opera), Esther in Intimate Apparel (Cincinnati Opera Fusion), and Clara in Porgy and Bess (Utah Festival Opera).

Jorell Williams, Baritone

Jorell Williams is an American operatic baritone with a wide variety of experience from standard repertoire to premiere pieces. He began the 2019 - 2020 season with the world premiere of Kamala Sankaram’s Looking at You at the HERE Center for the Arts, and returned to Seattle Opera for The Falling and the Rising and Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, and makes company debuts with Opera Birmingham in Independence Eve, Pacific Opera Victoria in Carmen, and the Cincinnati May Festival in John Adams' I was looking at the ceiling and then I saw the sky. Mr. Williams’ previous season included the American premiere of Frank London’s Cuban-Yiddish Opera Hatuey: Memory of Fire with Peak Performances, followed by returns to Victory Hall Opera in The Medium, Finger Lakes Opera in La Boheme, and his New York City Opera debut, reprising the role of Hannah-Before in Laura Kaminsky’s As One.