Join us for A Voice Within, a new song cycle by HGO Composer-in-Residence Joel Thompson and librettist and Houston poet laureate emeritus Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, presented in partnership with the Emancipation Park Conservancy and the African American History Research Center at the Gregory School.

A Voice Within is comprised of 12 songs that share stories of Black Houstonians, providing a platform for voices that often have been marginalized in the classical music world. The poems are based on interviews with longtime city residents, as well as oral histories from the collections of the Emancipation Park Conservancy and the Gregory School’s African American History Research Center.

The world-premiere performance will feature beloved soprano Nicole Heaston and rising baritone Justin Austin, accompanied by pianist Donald Lee III. Moderating a pre-performance panel discussion about the new song cycle will be Emmy Award-winning Houston broadcast journalist Linda Lorelle