Davóne Tines

Heralded as "[one] of the most powerful voices of our time" by the Los Angeles Times, bass-baritone Davóne Tines has come to international attention as a path-breaking artist whose work not only encompasses a diverse repertoire but also explores the social issues of today. As a Black, gay, classically trained performer at the intersection of many histories, cultures, and aesthetics, he is engaged in work that blends opera, art song, contemporary classical music, spirituals, gospel, and songs of protest, as a means to tell a deeply personal story of perseverance that connects to all of humanity.  

Davóne Tines is Musical America’s 2022 Vocalist of the Year. He came to international attention during the 2015-16 season via breakout, world-premiere performances of Kaija Saariaho’s Only the Sound Remains, directed by Peter Sellars, at Dutch National Opera, Finnish National Opera, Opéra national de Paris, and Teatro Real (Madrid), and through performances at the Ojai Music Festival in which he sang works by Caroline Shaw and Kaija Saariaho alongside the Calder Quartet and International Contemporary Ensemble. 

Davóne Tines recently unveiled his project Recital No. 1: MASS, a 75-minute recital for bass-baritone and pianist that explores the liturgical Mass woven through Western European, African-American, and 21st-century traditions.  With the shift towards digital content creation during the pandemic, Davóne Tines began creating short music films that use powerful visuals to accentuate the social and poetic dimensions of the music. In September 2020, Lincoln Center virtually presented his music film VIGIL, which pays tribute to Breonna Taylor. Created in collaboration with Matthew Aucoin, Igée Dieudonné, and Conor Hanick, the work was subsequently arranged for orchestra by Mr. Aucoin and premiered in a live-stream by Mr. Tines and the Louisville Orchestra, conducted by Teddy Abrams.  

Notable performances on the opera stage have included the world and European premieres of John Adams and Peter Sellars’ Girls of the Golden West at San Francisco Opera and Dutch National Opera, respectively; the world premiere of Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmons’ Fire Shut Up In My Bones at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; the world premiere of Matthew Aucoin’s Crossing, directed by Diane Paulus at the Brooklyn Academy of Music; a new production of Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex at Lisbon’s Teatro Nacional de São Carlos led by Leo Hussain; and Handel’s rarely staged Aci, Galatea, e Polifemo at National Sawdust, presented in a new production by Christopher Alden. Performances as a member of the American Modern Opera Company have included Hans Werner Henze’s El Cimarrón, John Adams’ Nativity Reconsidered, and Were You There, in collaboration with Matthew Aucoin and Michael Schachter. 

Davóne Tines is a winner of the 2020 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, recognizing extraordinary classical musicians of color who, early in their career, demonstrate artistic excellence, outstanding work ethic, a spirit of determination, and an ongoing commitment to leadership and their communities. In 2019 he was named as one of Time Magazine’s Next Generation Leaders. He is also the recipient of the 2018 Emerging Artists Award given by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and is a graduate of Harvard University and The Juilliard School.