Collaboration, Courage, Connection

It has been an honor to serve as curator of the 2026 Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival and to work so closely with The Cleveland Orchestra.

This collaboration speaks to a culminating moment in my life. I’m a jazz musician, but for a long time, I’ve dealt with visual arts, film, and vocal genres, including opera — so I understand those worlds. Bringing these things together to create a festival experience that celebrates the humanities and social justice is a powerful thing.

Whenever I enter new artistic spaces, I strive to be a turnkey and not a token. Just because I am a prominent African American voice in the room, doesn’t mean the work is done — it only proves that there are so many diverse voices that need to be heard. When art forms have been so insular for so long, we are all missing out on important opportunities.

We have to learn how to celebrate our differences rather than use them as weapons. There are so many forces that pull us away from each other. But I truly believe that none of us are mistakes; we’re all unique for a reason. No matter how different our beliefs and our backgrounds are, we can find that common area that helps us grow and appreciate each other instead of being afraid of one another.

This is where I see our theme of Courage coming in. Fear is the biggest culprit in tearing us apart. But music can give us courage to do all the things that we are afraid of doing. Amid all the negativity and division in the news, a single piece of music can form a bridge. For some of us, it will bring back beautiful memories. For others, it is an exciting new experience that makes us curious about where it came from. That is powerful, because if you are truly curious, you won’t allow people with talking points to cloud your judgment. You will go out and do the research and approach unfamiliar spaces with understanding.

Curating the festival has reminded me of my work in film. After I see an amazing scene, there’s often a moment when I start to panic about what to do musically. But if you relax, the scene tells you what it is that you need to do. The circumstances invite your creativity. You could also compare it to being a band leader. You have to work to find that thing that connects to the audience and helps all of us reach a higher consciousness. The leader gives each musician room to express themselves and incorporates those ideas to form a stronger whole. It’s a perfect metaphor for how we should be as a society.

The speakers, thinkers, musicians, and artists of this year’s festival embody this pursuit of curiosity and human connection. The local voices of United in Song!, personal stories heard in The Moth Mainstage, and powerful poetry of Tank Ball showcase how individual and collective voices can change the world. Meanwhile, keynote speaker Bryan Stevenson, exhibition artist Halim Flowers, and the operatic centerpiece — Beethoven’s Fidelio — all offer perspectives on wrongful incarceration and the beauty of breaking down barriers.

Thanks to all these individuals and groups, this year’s festival is a masterclass in the courage to speak your mind, the courage to listen and truly hear, the courage to allow all of us to have a voice and come together as a community should. Through music and art, I invite you to reflect on who we are as human beings, who we need to be moving forward, and how we need to remind ourselves of our own humanity.