Denyce Graves at Chautauqua Institution
Route 394, Chautauqua, NY 14722
Recognized as “an operatic superstar of the 21st century” by USA Today, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves’ career has garnered unparalleled popular and critical acclaim. The recently appointed artistic advisor of the Chautauqua Opera Conservatory, Graves is artistic director of The Denyce Graves Foundation, which she founded in 2021. Exploring the theme of “Art in Action: Building Community Through the Arts,” Graves will both open the week in concert with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, July 5, 2025, and then speak three days later in her Chautauqua Lecture Series debut. In that presentation, Graves will discuss her dedication to the singers of the next generation, and her work championing the hidden musical figures of the past while uplifting young artists of world-class talent from all backgrounds.
Currently, Graves is a U.S. Global Music Ambassador with the U.S. Department of State, representing the nation with her artistry and leadership. A member of the voice faculty at the Peabody Institute, and a distinguished visiting faculty member at The Juilliard School, Graves’ acclaimed appearances as Carmen and Dalila in Samson et Dalila have resounded in the world’s greatest opera houses. In the 2024–25 season, Graves joins Washington National Opera as Prime Minister in Fidelio and Maria in Porgy & Bess, as well as directs the world premiere of Loving v. Virginia with Virginia Opera in a co-production with Richmond Symphony. Recent season highlights include appearances with The Metropolitan Opera as Sally in The Hours, Seattle Opera as Erda in Das Rheingold, and Lyric Fest and Washington Performing Arts in Cotton, where she was presented with the inaugural Ruth Bader Ginsburg Memorial Fund Award.