Davóne Tines

Bass-baritone Davóne Tines develops Eastman Evensong, a ceremony interweaving three solo vocal works by Julius Eastman: “Prelude to The Holy Presence of Joan D’Arc,” “The Lord has given, the Lord has taken,” and “O love, into thy bosom let me rest.” (August 16–21)

“Davóne Tines is changing what it means to be a classical singer” — Alex Ross, The New Yorker

Bass-baritone Davóne Tines’s daring recitals stretch the boundaries of what classical music can be and the impact it has on audiences. In works such as Recital No. 1: MASS, he interweaves elements of the Catholic Mass by composers from J. S. Bach to Carolyn Shaw and his own experiences to explore themes of spirituality, justice, and identity. LA Times critic Marc Swed called him “one of the most powerful voices of our time, as mesmerizing as a singer can be. His voice can fill a space and then some, ringing gloriously.”

Among Tines’s thematic compositions are The Black Clown, a searing rumination on Black history and identity based on the Langston Hughes poem co-created with Michael Schachter, who wrote the rollicking musical-theater score, and VIGIL, in memory of Breonna Taylor, who was shot by police in her own home, a collaboration with fellow AMOC members pianist Conor Hanick and composers Igée Dieudonné and Matthew Aucoin.

Alex Ross called Tines’s performance of the Handel aria “Shake the Heavens” “one of those moments which anyone who attends concerts lives to witness: within thirty seconds, I knew I was in the presence of a major artist.”