Finding His Voice

Finding His Voice

Bass-baritone Davóne Tines Breaking Boundaries

By Anita L. Sherman

Always a crowd pleaser when he appeared in high school performances, 2005 Fauquier County High School graduate Davóne Tines has gone on to reach meteoric heights in the operatic music world. From singing in local churches in Orlean, Tines has graced national and international stages sharing with audiences his own unique brand of performance.

Fauquier native and operatic superstar Davóne Tines.

Photo by Noah Elliott Morrison/ Detroit Opera

Performances that not only showcase his resonant, beautiful and soulful voice but performances that go beyond, bringing in elements of theatre and engaging audiences in new ways.

Tines names it OpenProcess, it’s an audiovisual experience using an app.

On Mar. 29, Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium hosted an immersive musical performance by Davóne Tines utilizing this app and centering on the song, ‘Vigil,” composed by Tines and Dutch/ English composer Igee Dieudonné. It was dedicated in memory of Breonna Taylor.

The audience wore headphones, and was able to move around the space, listening to and experiencing insights via six “nodes” or entry points into the music. The content was explored. Homage was paid to victims of police brutality and Tines described his creative process.

Listening and watching Tines perform is a moving experience. His voice comes from a deep place of connection to whatever genre of music he may be performing whether it be a spiritual, jazz or opera.

The Los Angeles Times has heralded Tines “a singer of immense power and fervor.”

The New York Times describes Tines as a “charismatic, full-voiced bass-baritone.”

Tines has garnered national and international attention. He’s a revolutionary artist, his musical palate is full of the colors of many repertoires often in which he explores political and social issues.

His story is personal. A young Black man growing up in a rural Virginia world. A young man mentored by grandparents who loved music. A young singer classically trained, Tines is able to blend opera with art song, songs of protest with spirituals and gospel, all to tell a story, his story of perseverance. And his story is one that resonates for many. Tines is able to share it in significant ways.

Born in 1986, from an early age Tines took a liking to classical and gospel music. He started playing the violin at 7 but singing was his heart. He continued studying the violin at Harvard University and served as the president of Harvard’s student orchestra. He also studied set design no doubt giving him a flare for unique productions. Tines worked for several years as an arts administrator in Washington after graduation before switching to voice at the Juilliard School in New York where he earned a master’s degree in 2013.

Tines is a co-founder of the American Modern Opera Company. Here he works with a group of dancers, singers, musicians, writers, directors, composers, choreographers and producers all with a shared vision to connect artists and audiences in new ways.

Commissioned and premiered by The American Repertory Theater, Tines brought the verses of Langston Hughes’ poem, The Black Clown, to life in 2019 with a moving performance that blended vaudeville, opera, jazz and spirituals.

Partnering with other artists can produce powerful results.

In 2021, Tines paired with pianist Lara Downes on Remember Me to Harlem. In that same year, he was named artist-in-residence at the Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit.

If you happen to be in California on April 14, you can see and hear Davóne Tines in person when he performs at UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance. He will be joined by another musical powerhouse, violinist Jennifer Koh. A musical collaboration, Everything Rises, tells the untold story of solidarity between Asian Americans and the Black Community.

Tines took home the 2020 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, recognizing extraordinary classical musicians of color. In 2018, Tines was the recipient of the Emerging Artists Award from Lincoln Center.

Tines had a special Christmas gift in December 2021, with a celebration to honor his latest achievement. He was named the 2022 Vocalist of the Year at the 61st annual Musical America Awards.