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Damian Norfleet

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"Damian Norfleet is a gifted improvisational singer, performance artist, actor, and social justice activist who has occupied a rare multi-dimensional space in the performing arts" (I Care If You Listen). Norfleet “brings a full range of emotions” (Boston Globe) and commands both stage and screen with a strong presence and powerful singing. Across spoken word, song, and poetry; his output focuses on space, language and phonemic awareness.

Barrymore Award-winning and IRNE Award-nominated actor Damian Norfleet has been a guest artist at the New England Conservatory and the Bread and Puppet Theater; taught a masterclass at Bennington College; conducted a vocal health seminar for the performers at Hong Kong Disney, and presented at a symposium for student artists from Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. He has workshopped, developed, and directed new works with the John Duffy Institute for New Opera, American Opera Project, and the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU|Tisch. In 2022, Damian was a consultant to Lighthouse Artspace Minneapolis to reimagine the space for future performances, exhibits, and residencies. He co-curated Young, Gifted, and Black (2020) and Love in Times of Alienation (2017) with the Concerts in the Heights ensemble, both presented at New York’s Lehman Art Gallery. 2021 began with Blessed for Opera Philadelphia’s Digital Commission Series, 2022 began with a collaboration with thirteen time Grammy Award-winning producer Judith Sherman, and 2023 began with Praise Pecola!, a commissioned piece for voice and bass clarinet inspired by Toni Morrison's seminal work The Bluest Eye. The duet Praise Pecola! had its world premiere at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center by clarinetist Moran Katz and vocalist Damian Norfleet during Ensemble Pi's concert Banned Books on May 15th, 2023.

Norfleet traversed the United States as the lead actor, vocalist, and saxophone soloist of the nationally touring production In the Mood: A 1940s Musical Revue. He played the role of Smith in the 2012 Drama Desk Award-nominated production of The Threepenny Opera. In 2014, Damian performed in an experimental opera at the Guggenheim Museum as part of the Works & Process performing arts series. Soon thereafter, he portrayed Terrence Roberts in the world premiere of the play Little Rock, which earned him and the cast a Barrymore Award for Best Ensemble. In 2020, Damian played Scar in Hong Kong Disney's Festival of the Lion King. On screen, Damian starred in the comedy series Co-operation with Lucy Goranson and Phoebe Robinson, partnered with Andre Braugher in the feature film Emily & Tim (starring Olympia Dukakis), and is currently cast as Pharaoh Akhenaten in the afro-futuristic feature film trilogy Protector of the Gods (in pre-production). In 2012, Damian Norfleet was honored to be the featured performer at the American Civil Liberties Union’s Beacon of Liberty Awards honoring Terrence McNally. Mr. Norfleet has performed principal roles with Glimmerglass Opera, Portland Opera, American Opera Project, Opera Philadelphia (Opera On Film), and appeared in concert at Lincoln Center. Damian's been blessed to work with amazing artists like record producer Judith Sherman, composers George Lewis, Courtney Bryan, Nkeiru Okoye, Yosvany Terry, and Trevor Weston; visual artists Tiona Nekkia McClodden, Peter Schumann, and Katya Popova; costume designer Miodrag Guberinic, sound designer Rob Kaplowitz, conductors Vimbayi Kaziboni, David Bloom, and David Charles Abell; stage directors Diane Paulus and Lars Jan, and regularly collaborates with two socially conscious, activist orchestras: The Dream Unfinished and Ensemble Pi.

As a young artist, Damian served as the associate principal bassoonist of the Orchestra of the Pines; studied vocal pedagogy with Dr. David Jones and Dr. Robert Sataloff; music theory and composition with Darrell Holt; attended masterclasses with Dalton Baldwin and Warren Jones; was mentored by Tom Krause; and enjoyed a brief stint as a resident artist at the acclaimed Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. This was the moment when Mr. Norfleet turned his attention to acting. Immediately upon leaving AVA, Mr. Norfleet was accepted into the acting studio of actor/director Pete Pryor at the University of the Arts and later studied Shakespeare performance with Sybil Lines of the Royal Shakespeare Company. (Fun fact: Damian studied West African dance with Jeannine Osayande)

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International Contemporary Ensemble Presents George Lewis: Hearing Voices At Roulette On October 5


​​​​​​​International Contemporary Ensemble is featured in the first of two concerts this season at Roulette on Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. The concert, titled George Lewis: Hearing Voices, presents a portrait of the Ensemble's Artistic Director and features the US premiere of Lewis's H. narrans (2020) for voice and chamber ensemble, with text drawn from the writings of postcolonial theorist Sylvia Wynter.

International Contemporary Ensemble to Present GEORGE LEWIS: HEARING VOICES At Roulette


Get ready for a captivating evening as International Contemporary Ensemble presents George Lewis: Hearing Voices at Roulette on October 5. Don't miss this opportunity to experience the audacious musical exploration of decolonization. Livestream available.

Ensemble Pi Presents New Concert BANNED BOOKS in May


Ensemble Pi has announced Banned Books, presented by the Music & Recorded Sound Division at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Banned Books is an evening-length performance of six premieres commissioned by Ensemble Pi in response to recent U.S. bills, which ban books or curtail the discussion of critical race theory, LGBTQ+ issues, antisemitism and other disputed topics in public schools and libraries.

Courtney Bryan Named Composer In Residence At Opera Philadelphia


For more than a decade, Opera Philadelphia's Composer in Residence program has provided composers with opportunities for exploration and creative development in the field of opera. The first comprehensive operatic program of its kind in the country, it provides composers with highly individualized creative development such as connecting with experts, detailed work with singers, and working with the company to further their study of creation and exploration in opera.

The Center at West Park to Present Ensemble Pi's RADICAL KINSHIP


Radical Kinship is Ensemble Pi’s new concert project, inspired by the work of global champion of social justice, Father Greg Boyle, and his belief in the power of radical kinship to heal society’s inequalities. F

Courtney Bryan's BLESSED Premieres on the Opera Philadelphia Channel


Courtney Bryan's Blessed takes its inspiration from the righteous uprisings of 2020, when the Bible verse from Matthew 5, “blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth,” kept running through her head.

The Center at West Park Presents ENSEMBLE PI: REPARATIONS NOW!


Reparations NOW! is Ensemble Pi's new project, inspired by Ta-Nehisi Coates' congressional testimony and Ibram X. Kendi's best-seller book, How to Be an Antiracist a?" both of which offer powerful and compelling arguments in support of reparations for the African-American community.

Activist Orchestra Plays For Climate Justice


Activist orchestra The Dream Unfinished will present Deep River, a concert of works by composers hailing from communities impacted by climate change and other environmental issues.

Honeck-Moss Productions Announces IN THE WORKS at The Duplex Cabaret


Honeck-Moss Productions is proud to present "In The Works." This exciting series is in it's second season was conceived as an opportunity for composers to try out new work in front of an audience and see how it plays in a supportive environment. It is also an opportunity to create community among the composers and their performers.

Ben Gonshor's WHEN BLOOD RAN RED Gets Staged Reading in NYC Today


Four-time Drama Desk Award nominated director Bryna Wasserman, currently represented Off-Broadway with the revival of Amerike-The Golden Land, is set to helm the staged reading of Canadian playwright Ben Gonshor's When Blood Ran Red, today, August 3rd, 3pm, at the Workshop Theater.

Ben Gonshor's WHEN BLOOD RAN RED Gets Staged Reading in NYC


Four-time Drama Desk Award nominated director Bryna Wasserman, currently represented Off-Broadway with the revival of Amerike-The Golden Land, is set to helm the staged reading of Canadian playwright Ben Gonshor's When Blood Ran Red, August 3rd, 3pm, at the Workshop Theater.

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Announces 2016 Award Winners


Planet Connections Theatre Festivity closed out its season on August 14 with its annual award ceremony, held at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village.

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity Awards Come to Cherry Lane This Weekend; Nominees Announced!


Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, New York's premiere socially conscious-eco-friendly theatre festival, caps off its latest season with its annual awards ceremony on Sunday, August 14, at 7pm, at the Cherry Lane Theatre, located at 38 Commerce Street.

Photo Flash: First Look at NIX, New Musical Version of HAMLET at Planet Connections


The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity presents NIX, a new musical adaptation of Hamlet driven by a muscular, vulnerable heroine, putting herself in harm's way for justice. After receiving the PCTF Award for outstanding lyrics, & nominations for Outstanding, Direction, Script & Production in 2015, Katherine Brann Fredricks helms a cast of seven, including Laurel Caruso, Darilyn Castillo*, Carlos Martin*, Toni Martin*, Damian Norfleet*, Jody Reynard*, and Nicholas Sotack*. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Photo Flash: First Look at NIX at Planet Connections


The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity presents NIX, a new musical adaptation of Hamlet driven by a muscular, vulnerable heroine, putting herself in harm's way for justice.  After receiving the PCTF Award for outstanding lyrics, & nominations for Outstanding, Direction, Script & Production in 2015, Katherine Brann Fredricks helms a cast of seven, including Laurel Caruso, Darilyn Castillo*, Carlos Martin*, Toni Martin*, Damian Norfleet*, Jody Reynard*, and Nicholas Sotack*. Six performances of NIX will be staged at the Paradise Factory, Upstairs Theatre, 64 E. 4th St., NYC from June 21-July 9 as part of The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.  The Festivity will take place June 13 - July 10 at the Paradise Factory in New York City.

Jennifer Sanchez, Alyssa Fox and More Set for COLORS FOR CASIE Benefit at New World Stages


On Monday, May 30th at 8:30pm, The Green Room at New World Stages will be hosting a benefit concert for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 

New Musical Adaptation of HAMLET to Play Planet Connections, 6/21-7/9


The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity presents NIX, a new musical adaptation of Hamlet driven by a muscular, vulnerable heroine, putting herself in harm's way for justice. After receiving the PCTF Award for outstanding lyrics, & nominations for Outstanding, Direction, Script & Production in 2015, Katherine Brann Fredricks helms a cast of seven, including Laurel Caruso, Darilyn Castillo*, Carlos Martin*, Toni Martin*, Damian Norfleet*, Jody Reynard*, and Nicholas Sotack*. Six performances of NIX will be staged at the Paradise Factory, Upstairs Theatre, 64 E. 4th St., NYC from June 21-July 9 as part of The Planet Connections Theatre Festivity. The Festivity will take place June 13 - July 10 at the Paradise Factory in New York City.

SHARK ATTACK! Unauthorized SHARKNADO Parody Musical Gets Concert Reading


Quick, get out of the water! A one-night-only concert reading of the new rock musical parody SHARK ATTACK! is set for Monday, March 28th, 2016 at 6:30pm at Off-Broadway's Elektra Theatre.

Passage Theatre Wins 2015 Barrymore Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Play


Passage Theatre (June Ballinger, Artistic Director; Damion A. Parran, Managing Director), Trenton's only professional theater, won the 2015 Barrymore Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Play for last season's runaway hit Little Rock. The awards, which honor excellence in theatre, was presented on November 2, by Theatre Philadelphia.

2015 Philadelphia Barrymore Awards Winners Announced - Ben Dibble, Liz Filios, THE WHALE and More!


This evening, in a celebration attended by almost 750 theatre artists, staff, critics, and friends, Theatre Philadelphia distributed 26 awards at the 2015 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre - now in its second successful season since relaunching in fall 2013. The Awards Ceremony was held at the Merriam Theater, followed by an After-Party at Dorrance Hamilton Hall at the University of the Arts. A full list of award recipients is below.

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