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We are excited to present to you a fascinating program celebrating the complexity of black history across time and around the world through music. The program will feature timeless favorites but also introduce you to new works that are seldom performed.

Kofi Hayford is a prize-winning Ghanaian-American bass, described as possessing an “impressive” “sonorous”, and “stentorian bass voice” also produces a distinct sound – easily identified for its unique timbre. He has over 40 operatic roles under his belt and has performed roles and concerts with The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Fort Worth Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and more. Kofi was recently a double laureate of the 2024 Grand Voix Lyrique d'Afrique International Competition and also had his mainstage Carnegie Hall debut in May 2024. Kofi’s performing career has found enthusiastic audiences in the Arctic Circle down to the Caribbean and across the Atlantic Ocean in Europe and Africa. He received his Bachelor’s from SUNY Buffalo, co-founded the DictionBuddy mobile app, and is Chairman of the Board for the Groupmuse Foundation. Next on Kofi’s schedule are concert in NYC at Carnegie Hall and a six-city concert tour in France in May 2025

Kofi is delighted to share the stage with internationally acclaimed Venezuelan soprano, Maria Brea, who will be lending her substantial talents to this program. Praised for being a "very classy Venezuelan soprano" by The Arts Desk, ”versatile soprano” by Tampa Bay and “luxurious soprano" by Opera Wire and as Micaela; “her lush tones and thrilling diminuendos were warmly received” by The Brooklyn Reporter. Today, the soprano is fast making a name for herself across North America. Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Opera, David Koch Theater, Palais Garnier are just some of the prestigious stages the Juilliard grad has already graced, where she has stunned audiences with her dazzling range and intoxicatingly lush tones.

Kofi and Maria will be joined by the great pianist Eric Sedgwick. Eric is a graduate of Brown University and Manhattan School of Music and has worked with great talents of classical music like Leona Mitchell, Sanford Sylbvan, and Marni Nixon. He is on faculty at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music and Tanglewood Music Center in addition to many collaborations with the respected Metropolitan Opera Guild and Joyce DiDonato's Music Education Workshops at Carnegie Hall.