Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale Appoints Davóne Tines First Creative Partner

On the heels of its Tarik O'Regan Composer-in-Residence announcement which breaks new ground in the early music world, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale takes another bold step into the future with the appointment of bass-baritone DAVÓNE TINES as the organization's first-ever Creative Partner.

Tines most recently starred in PBO's critically acclaimed, sold-out run of Handel's Aci, Galatea e Polifemo. The Los Angeles Times was ecstatic in its praise, using words such as extraordinary, gripping, overwhelming, and terrifying to describe him. His PBO residency will include appearances in Philharmonia's virtual and onstage productions; however what makes it unique goes way beyond performing. Tines will play a key role behind the scenes, working side-by-side with administrative staff; attending board, strategic planning, and governance meetings; and producing shows and curating new series. He will engage with PBO stakeholders at all levels of the organization to explore the role of a major historically-informed ensemble in the 21st century that not only performs and presents music from the Baroque, but older and new repertoire, including opera.

"Our current times find institutions at a critical juncture to either choose survival by meeting the present moment or perish at the hand of their own reluctance to change," states Davóne Tines. "PBO's bravery and openness in inviting me to partner with them shows their desire to explore a cultural organization's greater potential for transformation. By engaging with the totality of the organization-from performance and artistic output to board membership and strategic planning-I hope to unearth, invigorate, and make more legible the work in which PBO is already engaged, and help them to continue to evolve in the future. Together we will show that what might seem like an antiquated art form can resonate with the modern world."

This new pilot residency fills an unusual gap in the sector. While many institutions offer similar opportunities for administrators, there are few chances for major artists to fully engage with the institutions that present them on their stages. This partnership creates an extraordinary space for an artist to lend their artistic perspective and experience, as well as an opportunity to learn from those inside Philharmonia.

In his role as Creative Partner, Tines will work closely with Music Director Richard Egarr, Executive Director Courtney Beck, and the artistic team; but equally important will be Tines' connection to subscribers, ticket buyers, and those who have yet to encounter Philharmonia. As the partnership evolves and deepens, new programs and ideas will be announced. The end goal is to disseminate the organization's findings to the broader classical community and to help organizations evaluate their approach to artistic planning and output.

Among the many projects Tines will tackle is his new online show, "The Ultimate Outcome," a series of conversations with artists, administrators, and experts within and beyond PBO. The show will investigate the role of a modern-day Baroque ensemble, and how it fits into and expands tradition.

Philharmonia has developed a relationship with Tines over the past four years. It began when the organization co-produced Aci, Galatea e Polifemo with National Sawdust, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and Cath Brittan in 2017. Tines joined the organization on tour in summer of 2018 in his role as Mercurio in Handel's Atalanta at the Caramoor Summer Festival in New York and in performance at Yale's Norfolk Chamber Festival gala in Connecticut. Tines recently served as host of PBO's 2021 virtual gala and will host the 2022 live gala (programming to be announced later).

"With Davóne Tines joining the PBO team, I feel more energized than ever about our future," said Music Director Richard Egarr. "Having a thoughtful, sensitive artist like Davóne on board will be a privilege for all who know and love PBO, and he will play a key role in helping us evaluate our place in the world as we emerge from the pandemic and into a new world, one that is perhaps more thoughtful and introspective."

Heralded as a "singer of immense power and fervor" by The Los Angeles Times and a "charismatic, full-voiced bass-baritone" by The New York Times, 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, his work blends opera, art song, contemporary classical, spirituals, gospel, and songs of protest, as a means to tell a deeply personal story of perseverance that connects to all of humanity.

Mr. Tines came to international attention during the 2015-16 season in breakout performances at the Dutch National Opera premiere of Kaija Saariaho's Only the Sound Remains directed by Peter Sellars and at the Ojai Music Festival presenting works by Caroline Shaw and Kaija Saariaho with the Calder Quartet and the International Contemporary Ensemble.

Davóne Tines is co-creator with Zack Winokur and composer Michael Schachter, as well as co-librettist of The Black Clown, a music theater experience inspired by Langston Hughes' poem of the same name that animates a black man's resilience against America's legacy of oppression by fusing vaudeville, opera, jazz, and spirituals to bring Hughes' verse to life onstage. The world premiere was given by the American Repertory Theater in 2018 and presented by Lincoln Center in summer 2019. In his review of The Black Clown, Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote, "this rich, seamless production melds the past and present of African-American history into an electrifyingly ambivalent whole...An estimable opera singer, Mr. Tines has a depths-plumbing bass-baritone that can find a range of contradictions within a single note. And his body and face match that voice in their expressiveness."

As a founding core member of the American Modern Opera Company, Davóne Tines has been featured in a wide array of productions including Henze's El Cimarrón and John Adams' Nativity Reconsidered, both presented by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in the original work Were You There with music by 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. He also is 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.

Learn more at philharmonia.org.

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