Project celebrates Baltimore’s Black and Jewish operatic history through music, dialogue, and public learning.
Opera Baltimore has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) to support Voices in Solidarity: Baltimore’s Black and Jewish Operatic History.
This heritage tourism initiative will celebrate the city’s intertwined Black and Jewish cultural legacies through concerts, conversations, and public programs rooted in Baltimore’s geography and identity.
One of eight Baltimore-based projects funded this year, Voices in Solidarity will be produced in collaboration with the Jewish Museum of Maryland and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Plans include a concert of works by Black and Jewish composers, community conversations in historic venues such as Baltimore Hebrew Congregation and Shake & Bake Family Fun Center, and public learning sessions connecting opera, jazz, and Jewish musical traditions. The project will also feature performances that highlight the layered history of Jonestown and activate cultural landmarks across the city.
Lead artists include soprano Sara Duchovnay, the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, and baritone Daniel Rich, a Baltimore native. Dr. Nicole Steinberg serves as Cultural Programs Coordinator.
The initiative will launch in late 2025 with research and development, followed by rehearsals, preview performances, community dialogue events, and a full concert production in 2026, with touring opportunities under consideration.
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