Washington Performing Arts: Our Song, Our Story

• Jacqueline Echols, soprano
• Justin Austin, baritone
• Damien Sneed, piano & director
• Edward W. Hardy, viola
• Griot String Quartet

Margaret Bonds — Selected works
Henry Thacker "Harry" Burleigh — Selected works
Richard Smallwood — Selected works
Damien Sneed — Selected works
George Frideric Handel — Selected works
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Selected works
Giacomo Puccini — Selected works
Giuseppe Verdi — Selected works
Richard Strauss — Selected works
George Gershwin — Selected works

The concert brings together two of today's most exciting operatic voices in a diverse and powerful event featuring Jacqueline Echols and Justin Austin, accompanied by Damien Sneed on piano and the Griot String Quartet; Amyr Joyner on violin, Justus Ross on violin, Edward W. Hardy on viola, and Thapelo Masita on cello.

About Washington Performing Arts (D.C.)

https://www.washingtonperformingarts.org/

About Jacqueline Echols, soprano

Lyric soprano Jacqueline Echols has been praised for her "dynamic range and vocal acrobatics" (Classical Voice) in theaters across the United States.

https://www.l2artists.com/jacqueline-echols/

About Justin Austin, baritone

Justin Austin debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Marcellus in Brett Dean's Hamlet, and sang the leading role of Charles Blow in Fire Shut Up In My Bones by Terrance Blanchard at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He is one of the rising stars of his generation.

https://www.justinaustin.org/

About Damien Sneed, piano & director

https://www.damiensneed.com/

About Edward W. Hardy, viola

Edward W. Hardy (born January 12, 1992) is a critically acclaimed Black and Puerto Rican composer, music director, virtuoso violinist and violist and is one of the foremost exponents of solo violin repertoire for theatrical productions. At the age of 25, "Hardy (was) one of the youngest composers to ever be accepted into the Exploring the Metropolis Con Edison Composer Residency and one of the most prominent composer/ violinists in New York City" – BroadwayWorld. "Edward W. Hardy, who composed the omnipresent music, plays the violin superbly." – The New York Times. He has "Vigor, Control And Expressiveness." – The Post and Courier. Hardy is "Mesmerizing" – Manhattan With A Twist and also performs in a style that is "serene, dreamy, and soulful with velvety panache" – The Millbrook Independent. As the composer, music director and violinist of the smash hit Off-Broadway show The Woodsman Hardy's show was a recipient of the 2016 Obie Award, the 2014 Jim Henson Foundation Grant and was broadcast on PBS stations four separate times, streamed on BroadwayHD and major music producer Jim McElwaine produced Hardy's album The Woodsman Original Off-Broadway Solo Recording, which continues to be sold and streamed in countries such as the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey, France, Hong Kong, Argentina, Ireland, and Germany.

Currently, Edward's discography contains 8 singles, 1 album, and his list of original compositions include works for solo violin, voice, harp, piano, string quartet, string trio, string duo, Latin ensemble, and soundtracks for film and stage. Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts commissioned Edward's song cycle, BORN FREE (Sorrow Home, Lineage, The Struggle Staggers Us, and Southern Song) and premiered the work as part of their 2022 UNTRAPPED series. Also in 2022, Edward's Latin piece Flying – Dancing in Spanish Harlem was performed by Jazz legend Andre Hayward and his band, along with Edward, at the Austin Chamber Music Festival.

Edward has received numerous awards, most recently winning 1st Prize in the 2022 University of Northern Colorado Concerto Competition and 2nd Prize in the 2022 Angie Southard Performance Competition. Edward also has an extensive performance history ranging from solo violin performances for the Congressional Black Caucus/ opening of the African-American Smithsonian Museum, Hublot, MAC Cosmetics, Haute Living, special performances for rap legends 50 Cent, Nas, Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber, Usher, Russell Westbrook, Kehlani, and legendary hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, to sharing the stage with famous artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Maxim Vengerov, Kygo, André De Shields, Damien Sneed, Regina Carter, Norm Lewis, Joshua Bell, John Blake Jr., Mark O'Connor, Radmila Lolly, Graham Reynolds, the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Jeffrey Zeigler, Sandbox Percussion, and the Attacca Quartet. Performance venues include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Avery Fisher Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, WQXR, The Greene Space, The Apollo Theater, Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, Charleston Museum, The Cutting Room, The Public Theater's Joe's Pub, Amanyara, and many others.

Edward is a proud member of Local 802 Musicians Union, Dramatist Guild of America, ASCAP, and is affiliated with the American Composers Orchestra, the Sphinx Organization, Exploring the Metropolis, and the Gateways Music Festival. He is also the founder and artistic director of the Omnipresent Music Festival – BIPOC Musicians Festival, the digital marketing director and artistic advisor of Beethoven in the Rockies: Concert Series, and the senior director of operations and co-founder of the Northern Colorado Center for Arts Entrepreneurship. Master of Music, Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College CUNY, cum laude, Bachelor of Music, SUNY Purchase, cum laude. Edward is a doctoral candidate/graduate instructor in violin performance at the University of Northern Colorado under the mentorship of Dr. Jubal Fulks.

https://www.edwardwhardy.com/

About Griot String Quartet

Amyr Joyner, violin |
Messiah Ahmed, violin |
Edward W. Hardy, viola & violin |
Thapelo Masita, cello