Lester Green, D.M.A.

• Increased musical preparation of a cohort of singers each semester cast in operatic productions, as well as preparation of students for presentation in recitals, competitions, and juries.

• Prepared students for performances in structured setting with opportunity for live constructive feedback.
• Used variety of learning modalities and support materials to facilitate learning process and accentuate presentations.
• Equipped students with strategies for analyzing and solving problems of musical interpretation; specifically in matters of poetic analysis, lyric diction, character analysis, and adaptation of composer intent to student strengths for effective delivery and communication.
• Developed student certainty of performance approach and authenticity of viewpoint in interpretation and performance of vocal works.

Highlights

• February 2021, co-produced and featured as pianist, composer, and poet in Black History Month concert entitled, No Ways Tired, presented by UMD School of Music IDEA Committee (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility)
• September 2021, Coordinator and Music Director for Requiem Mass of distinguished Professor Carmen Balthrop- Delaney, soprano
• Supported singers participating in recording sessions and live performances
• Used variety of learning modalities and support materials to facilitate learning process and accentuate presentations
• Inspired discussions through presentation of thought-provoking material, preparing students for rigors of competitive field
• Supported graduate students in obtaining doctoral degrees by advising on study plans, doctoral dissertations and career goals

• Guided cohort of students each semester in matters of vocal technique, repertoire selection, competition preparation, graduate school auditions, recital preparations, operatic role preparation, as well as preparation for departmental jury examinations.
• Equipped students with strategies for musical interpretation of vocal works; specifically in matters of poetic analysis, lyric diction, character analysis, and adaptation of composer intent to student strengths for effective performance delivery.

• Provided piano accompaniment to conductors and ensembles participating in rehearsals, recording sessions and live performances.
• Taught choristers of varying skill levels ways to improve overall musicianship and singing ability.
• Collaborated with Artistic Director and Associate Artistic Director to determine and achieve desired sound for concert productions.
• Collaborated with Artistic Director and fellow supervisors to organize operations and achieve demanding schedule targets.
• Collaborated with Board Members and Consulting Agency to develop Strategic Plan for organization.
• Worked with strategic planning committee to revise, clarify, and rewrite organizational mission statement.
• Consulted with directors to determine placement of improvised musical cues to help coordinate artistic vision for smooth transitions in performances.
• Helped to create, plan and implement online Choral Curriculum and lesson plans during Covid19 pandemic
• Recorded piano performance tracks and vocal rehearsal tracks for virtual choir projects
• Performed as pianist and organist in regular season concerts.
• Performed and helped prepare choristers and Dance Institute of Washington for 25th Anniversary commissioned premiere of Dream a New World Trilogy, by Dominick DiOrio, March 6, 2022.

• In September 2014, Green was appointed Artistic Director of the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA). A non-profit national arts network of community partners and professional artists, CAAPA showcases, encourages, and develops excellence in achievements of classical musicians of color and others, both in the USA and internationally.
• Helped create arts organization's seasonal performance program and selected performers and artists for upcoming events.
• Contributed to creative process through original ideas and inspiration.
• Helped produce and curate CAAPA concerts and recitals including, but not limited to: “Figaro Meets Frederick Douglass”, “Seoul to Soul Musical Extravaganza”, “Handel, Hamilton, and Holiday Music”, “Cotton Field to Concert Hall”, “On One Accord: Jewish American and African American Composers”, all of which were seen by audiences at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
• Supervised and directed concerts such as “Sopranos Slay”, “Arias and Shanties”, and “Men in Black: Mozart to Motown”, “Voices of Hope”, “Opera Goes to Church”, “Rise Up! Unity Concert”, and series of “Emerging Artist Recitals”, helping to showcase young opera singers.

• Collaborated with production team to determine and achieve desired outcomes for performance.
• Collaborated with co-recitalist to implement artistic vision.
• Performed collaborative recital of 65- minutes duration with Bass-Baritone, Davone Tines for live audience and web-only audience in Zilkha Hall at Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, January 25, 2022.
• Co-taught and coached professional level singers in opera arias Masterclass with Bass-Baritone, Davone Tines, at Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, January 24, 2022.

• Collaborated with featured soloist to implement artistic vision.
• Recorded concert with acclaimed mezzo-soprano, J’Nai Bridges, in program, entitled ‘Rising Together’, interpreting works by German, Austrian, Spanish and American composers, highlighting Green’s own poetry and compositions as well.
• Served as pianist for additional Masterclass film segment in co-partnership with Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA) immediately after concert filming, in which Ms. Bridges coached soprano, Alexandria Chrichlow in Puccini's O Mio Babbino Caro.

• Evaluated and selected instructional materials and texts to prepare course materials and lesson plans.
• Advised students in academic matters to improve successful course completion.
• Transitioned course material and applied technological options for online and course-related software for Sight Singing.
• Developed and implemented Sight Singing curriculum for improved learning and student performance.
• Worked cooperatively with other members of faculty and staff to contribute to overall institutional effectiveness.
• Designed and delivered class instruction to meet course competencies.
• Studied program needs and enhanced content and teaching methods to better communicate material.
• Actively participated in team-building ideas and methods to help other faculty deal with changes.
• Developed creative and effective teaching methods for course content to capture students attention.

Adjunct Faculty in Vocal and Instrumental Music Summary: Vocal Coach, Opera Workshop, Accompanist, Sight Singing Instructor (All Levels). Initially in 2009 and again in 2013, I served as a Vocal Coach/Accompanist in the Vocal Music Division. My duties included providing integral support for vocal technique classes as a coach and accompanist. It was my job to assist the voice faculty in preparing the students for recitals, juries and other performances strengthening certainty in every aspect of performance including foreign language diction, musicianship and interpretation. Later my duties expanded to include Sight Singing instruction, summer Piano Intensive, Summer Dance Intensive Accompanying, and occasional Choral Accompanying.

• Collaborative Pianist for Recital with Tenor, Roderick Dixon, Spoleto Salon, Murray Center, Charleston, SC, October 18, 2017.
• Collaborative Pianist for Recital with Soprano, LaQuita Mitchell, Spoleto Salon, Murray Center, Charleston, SC . Oct 19, 2017.
• Collaborative Pianist for Recital with Tenor, Roderick Dixon, Chappelle Auditorium, Allen University, September 11, 2019

2018 Accompanist for the Virginia Williams Opera Prize Competition

• Provided musical coaching prior to competition to contestants and piano accompaniment during competition

2019 Adjudicator for the Virginia Williams Opera Prize Competition

• Evaluated contestants according to professional criteria established by competition hosts and cast equal vote on panel of adjudicators to determine winner of Virginia Williams Opera Prize.

• Evaluated operatic contestants according to professional criteria established by competition hosts and cast equal vote on jury of three adjudicators to determine contestants for final round. April 13-14, 2022.

• Provided piano accompaniment for four recitals occurring at Duke Ellington School of the Arts over a two year period. Singers accompanied included: Laree Simon, Soprano; Jarrod Lee, Baritone; Angeli Ferrette, soprano; Matt Hill, tenor; Monique Holmes, mezzo soprano.

• Collaborated with 5 performers to determine and achieve desired musical interpretations for works presented in concert
• Collaborative co-recitalist with Elizabeth Racheva, soprano; Anamer Castrello, mezzo-soprano; Jose Sacin, baritone; and Bruce Rosenblum, double bass in works by Alvarez, Bernstein, Friedman, Guastavino, Laitman, Lecuona, Sierra, Wolf, and more in a curated program called Promised Lands? Of Leaving and Longing as part of WPA's Dreamers and Latinx in D.C. programming exploring notions of home, yearning, displacement, and hope. Curated by Elizabeth Racheva.

• Practiced selected music to accompany Cellist, Wade Davis.
• Selected music carefully in order to achieve balance of musical styles on program.
• Curated and performed recital program of chamber music and solo piano music with Cellist Wade Davis at "Classical Encounters" portion of 2018 MOJA Festival presented by City of Charleston, SC. Program included baroque, classical, and romantic works for cello and piano as well as hymn arrangements.

• Coached approximately 20 undergraduate and Graduate Student Voice Majors weekly in preparation for recitals, Juries, auditions, and other programs
• Supported singers participating in recording sessions and live performances.
• Handled requests for specific musical selections.
• Adapted teaching programs to meet individual and group needs.
• Considered factors such as ensemble size and abilities, availability of scores and need for musical variety to select performance pieces.
• Helped students prepare for auditions and special events.
• Planned and scheduled rehearsals and performances and arranged details such as locations, accompanists and instrumentalists.
• Facilitated score study to learn music in detail and develop interpretations.

Highlights

• As member of SINGTEAM, Taught Lyric Diction courses for English, Italian, Latin, German and French language in Art Song, Opera, and Oratorio Repertoire
• Taught Graduate Seminar in Vocal Literature
• Co-Taught Opera Workshop
• (2018) Conductor for Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadow, an opera on life and love of Paul Laurence Dunbar and Alice Ruth-Moore, written by Steven M. Allen. 2018 performance featured Baritone, Lester Lynch.
• (2016) Associate Music Director and Lead Music Preparer for There Was a Boy, a Jazz Musical Theatre production on Life of Nat King Cole, written by James Rich and music arranged by Matt Falker.
• (2016) Chorus Master, Lead Music Coach and Co-producer of presentation of Mother's Lament, new work for soprano, chorus, children's chorus, and orchestra featuring libretto of Vincent Stringer and music of Dr. Reginald Lee, concerning issue of violence and murder in black community. This presentation also included soprano, Marquita Lister with Mid-Atlantic Symphony, conducted by Julien Benichou.
• (2014) Music Director and Pianist for Mozart Madness, an Opera Workshop production of Various Scenes and arias from Don Giovanni and Le Nozze di Figaro.
• (2014) Conductor for Puccini's Suor Angelica

• Supported singers participating in rehearsals for live performances.
• Provided specific feedback to choristers and principal artists as needed.
• Achieved desired tonal and harmonic balance by communicating clearly with choristers.
• Chorus master and vocal coach for September 23. 2017 gala performance of Donizetti's L'Elisir D'Amore at residence of Ambassador of Columbia. Conductor, Julien Benichou, with Washington Opera Society Chorus and Orchestra. Principal Artists included Suzanne Karpov, Jesus Daniel Hernandez, Gustavo Ahualli, Kwuangkyu Lee, and Nicole Butler.

• Planned, organized and led music ministry during worship service by motivating congregational participation and providing direction to choir members and musicians.
• Provided inspiring and motivational music ministry during worship services, programs and events to uplift, encourage and entertain people with positive messages and values.
• Recruited volunteers for choirs and worship teams.
• Coordinated music and special vocals for worship services.
• Managed music ministry budget and submitted required reports, estimates and requests by deadlines.
• Engaged congregation through musical worship experience by spreading vitality.
• Bridged generational and cultural differences by selecting balance of musical styles for every service and presenting spiritual context.
• Rehearsed choir and conducted warm-up prior to services.
• Acquired music, equipment and supplies to perform designated duties in accordance with financial policies.
• Promoted fellowship within and helped recruit new volunteers into music ministry.
• Performed as versatile vocalist and instrumentalist to support inspirational worship services.
• Led and inspired worship team members and guided team in following church processes, guidelines and mission.

Highlights

• In 2005 served as music director with responsibility of planning, preparing, and producing music for televised funeral service of late civil rights activist, Mrs. Rosa Parks.
• Produced and conducted 9 annual presentations of Handel's Messiah.
• 2006, established Metropolitan Arts Partners Program, mentoring music program which provided training, coaching, performance opportunities, and scholarship support to young singers and instrumentalists.
• Annual Messiah presentation raised more than $150,000 for church ministry expenses and awarded more than 70 scholarships to students in Greater Washington area through Metropolitan Arts Partners Program.
• Produced presentations of other choral works in multiple genres on weekly basis.
• Prepared and produced music for church visit of President Barack Obama and his family on two occasions.
• Produced music for 2008 Congressional Black Caucus Inaugural Prayer Service, on visit of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and served as choral conductor and organist.
• Founders Day Celebration February 2014, curated and co-produced concert in partnership with United States Air Force Strings and Duke Ellington School for the Arts Chamber Singers. Conducted US Air Force Strings in performances of of works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, newly commissioned arrangements of art songs of Margaret Bonds, as well as new commissioned setting of spiritual for orchestra, A City Called Heaven, arr. by Master Sgt. John Bliss. As result received public commendation of "Challenge Coin" by Commander of Air Force Band for exemplary work, presented with Secretary of Air Force in attendance.

• Music Director and Conductor for premiere of The Poet, by Steven M. Allen. June 27, 2014 at Dunbar High School Auditorium, Washington D.C. Stage Direction by Lemuel Wade. Cast: Paul Dunbar: Greg Watkins, baritone; Alice Ruth Moore: Lisa Edwards Burrs, soprano; Matilda Dunbar: Denyce Graves-Montgomery, mezzo-soprano; Major James Pond: Dan Noone, tenor.
• The music and scenes from of this production of The Poet are featured in a PBS-WHUT documentary film by Frederick Lewis entitled Beyond the Mask funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
• Directed groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance, dynamics, rhythm and tempo

• Collaborated with performers and producers to determine and achieve desired sound for production.
• Auditioned and selected performers for musical presentations.
• Directed groups at rehearsals and live performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance, dynamics, rhythm and tempo.
• Used gestures to shape music being played, communicating desired tempo, volume and other performance aspects.
• Chief product was successful production of collaborative community concert February 9, 2014 at Founder's Day Celebration of Metropolitan AME Church with Metropolitan Choirs, Duke Ellington School of the Arts Chamber Choir, US Air Force Strings, Vocal Soloists, Orators, and Composers.

Feature Film: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and his Music in America 1900-1912 , produced by Charles Kaufmann, premiered 2013 in Portland, ME.

• Music Director and Chorus Master for Longfellow Chorus for portions filmed in Washington, D.C.
• Collaborated with performers and producers to determine and achieve desired sound for production.
• Conductor, Pianist, and Organist for Washington, DC film location at historic Metropolitan AME Church. Coleridge-Taylor music prepared and recorded included Hiawatha's Wedding Feast, A Tale of Old Japan, Quadroon Girl, She Dwells by Great Kenhawa's Side.
• African American Spirituals recorded included: Don't Be Weary Traveler, Keep Me from Sinking Down, and Nobody Knows the Trouble I See.

Longfellow Choral Festival 2013 , Portland ME

• Chorus Master and Associate conductor for Longfellow Choral Festival which ran concurrent with the film release in Portland. ME in March of 2013. Works conducted included Keep Me From Sinking Down (traditional African-American spiritual); Don't Be Weary, Traveler (spiritual); Nobody Knows the Trouble I see (spiritual); She Dwells by Great Kenhawa's Side (Coleridge-Taylor)
• Collaborative Pianist for performance of excerpts from A Tale of Old Japan.

Porgy and Bess

• Assisted in Musical preparation of principals and chorus for 9-performance run of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess in an original production by stage director, Francesca Zambello
• Served as pianist for staging rehearsals
• Served as pianist for opera chorus rehearsals
• Performed stage piano role of JASBO BROWN for 9 sold-out shows at Kennedy Center
• Performed two Opera Look-In shows to promote opera

Educational Outreach

• Clinician in Educational Outreach department for school partner programs,
• Taught Children's Chorus from Bizet's Carmen to partner school participants
• Assisted Masterclass presenter as collaborative pianist for workshop in Art Song and Musical Theatre for Pre-College Participants

Summary:

From 2005-2007 I worked as a guest clinician and presenter for Washington National Opera’s Educational Outreach Programs. These programs were conducted with participating schools who visited the Takoma Park Studios and who were involved with composing operas using student talent. Part of the process included seminars on the interpretive process for more advanced students as well as introducing opera to elementary school children. In these seminars, I taught opera choruses to children and worked with the older students on musical theater selections.

• Collaborated with student performers and faculty colleagues to determine and achieve desired outcomes for performances.
• Collaborative pianist for string and vocal repertoire at regular student recitals and locally televised faculty concerts at performance venues.
• 2002, recital partner with cellist, Lukasz Szyrner at St. John's College in Annapolis, MD.
• 2003, replaced pianist in Heifetz Classical Band
• 2003, hired as Collaborative Artist Faculty.
• Coached and performed sonatas and other standard string repertoire for violin and viola for lessons and several recitals per week for the six weeks of the institute. I also performed as duo partner in Faculty Recital Series.
• 2004, in addition to chamber music curriculum, became collaborative pianist and Faculty Coach for Inaugural Voice/Opera Program with Carmen Balthrop, soprano, in Wolfeboro, NH.
• 2005, returned specifically to coach and perform with students and faculty in Voice/Opera program in Wolfeboro, NH.

• Taught music majors solfege and sight-singing skills in Aural Skills 1 and 2 courses.
• Taught Music Theory 1 and 2.
• Taught Class Piano Levels 1-4 as well and applied piano students.
• Accompanied choir several few times per week in rehearsals and in some performances and tours.
• Helped to prepare opera workshop for productions of Kurt Weill’s Down in the Valley and Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Telephone .
• Coached voice students in preparation for recitals and juries.

• In 1997 I was hired as Johns Hopkins University faculty to work as Vocal Coach and Accompanist in Peabody Preparatory division. As Faculty Member I taught vocal fundamentals classes to non-conservatory college students and coached advanced preparatory students for recitals as well as prepared them musically for theater productions.
• Selected and developed instructional material and planned instruction to enhance student learning
• Incorporated proven methods of engagement and assessment that facilitated student mastery of content
• Created assignments to encourage student learning and develop communication skills and higher-order thinking
• Provided students constructive, encouraging and corrective feedback
• Modified instructional methods and strategies to meet diverse student needs
• Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills resulting in clear communication of subject matter to students
• Used variety of learning modalities and support materials to facilitate learning process and accentuate presentations