Nia Drummond

A Matter Of Time

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Nia Drummond

YPC ALUMNA / OPERA SINGER/ PIANIST/ JAZZ VOCALIST / MULTI-GENRE ARTIST / Effervescent

Described as a “moving and electrifying performer” by the Wall Street Journal, Nia Drummond is an up-and-coming performer known for combining her jazz roots, operatic training, gospel beginnings, and R&B stylings into a unique, “genre-fluid” sound.

Nia has been featured at the world-famous Apollo Theater, Playhouse Square in Cleveland, the New World Center, the Kennedy Center, and other renowned venues. She has also been featured in GREAT PERFORMANCES: American Voices with Renée Fleming, a televised vocal symposium which aired as a Great Performances documentary on PBS, with artists such as Eric Owens, Renée Fleming, Alison Krauss, Kurt Elling, Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles, and Kim Burrell. Along with her solo work, Nia has appeared as a background vocalist for the likes of Sir Elton John, Bette Midler, Valerie Simpson, Fantasia, John Legend, Lillias White, Deborah Cox, and Grace Weber.

Apart from her contemporary work, Ms. Drummond has extensive credits in the classical world. Her opera credits including Mother Superior in Benton Hess’ Felice, title role in Tobias Picker’s Therese Raquin, Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Rosalinda in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, and Edith in Gilbert and Sullivans’ Pirates of Penzance which was her debut at Lincoln Center. Additionally, she has appeared in operatic/symphonic chorus under the batons of Michael Tilson Thomas, the late Lorin Maazel, James Levine, and David Robertson. Under the tutelage of Ms. Shinobu Takagi, Ms. Drummond earned her Bachelor of Music (Voice Performance) from SUNY Fredonia in May 2017.

A proud alumna of YPC and the National YoungArts Foundation, Ms. Drummond was one of three winners selected from 10,000 competitors for the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts “Jazz Voice” award in 2012. Additional accolades include the 2012 Gordon Parks Centennial Scholarship Award, presented by the Gordon Parks Foundation, second place winner in the Erie Music Teachers Association competition, a finalist in the 2016 SUNY Fredonia Concerto Competition, and was honored to sing the National Anthem at the annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony in September of 2015.

Q: What inspired the piece you wrote?

Q: How have you been personally involved in or impacted by social equity issues?

Q: Is there a favorite lyric or part of the song that is particularly important/impactful to you?

Q: What do you want listeners to take away from your piece?

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