Associate professor of voice Kishna Davis Fowler returns to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Opera House in Washington, D.C. to perform in Reframing the Narrative: Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballethnic Dance Company, and Collage Dance Collective, June 17-19.
Reframing the Narrative is a weeklong celebration recognizing the incredible work of Black ballet dancers in the field of dance and acknowledging the importance of Black dancers in the shaping of ballet worldwide. Curated by Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet founder Theresa Ruth Howard and president and CEO of The International Association of Blacks in Dance Denise Saunders Thompson, Reframing the Narrative features performances by Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballethnic Dance Company, and Collage Dance Collective and more.
Professor Fowler will perform during Program B of the celebration, singing soprano alongside the Dance Theatre of Harlem as they perform Robert Garland's Gloria. The work, choreographed in 2012, it is set to Francis Poulenc’s “Glory to God in the Highest” for orchestra, soprano, and choir. The piece also features dance students from the Washington, D.C. area. Reframing the Narrative marks the fourth time Fowler has performed at the Kennedy Center in the nation's capital.
"I'm returning to perform at The Kennedy Center for the fourth time in my career, but this performance is more meaningful to me," said Fowler. "It's with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and doing collaborative projects like this brings on an entire new meaning for 'Black Excellence in the Arts' while also celebrating the weekend of Juneteenth in our Nation's Capital!"
To learn more about the Reframing the Narrative program, visit
Kishna Davis Fowler
Soprano Kishna Davis Fowler has won wide critical and audience acclaim throughout the United States and Europe for her deeply intimate artistry, commanding vocal ability, and versatile stage presence.
Recently, Ms. Davis Fowler delivered a stellar performance in Nkeiru Okoye’s inspiring “Songs of Harriet Tubman- 4 Arias” at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in March 2022.
“Ms. Fowler is a force of nature and the brilliance of her interpretation of the four Harriet Tubman arias shines through moment after moment. It’s always exciting to be in the presence of a singer who has such command of her instrument, and in the “Harriet arias,” Ms. Fowler covered nearly every genre of American vocal music from blues and gospel to operatic and contemporary, moving from one to another with seamless ease and grace.” – Laurence Carr, music review
Ms. Davis Fowler made her New York City Opera debut singing the role of Bess in “Porgy and Bess,” conducted by John de Main, a role she repeated many times including performances with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Indianapolis Opera, Virginia Opera, and with the 75th Anniversary Tour. She has performed concert versions of “Porgy and Bess” with the National Symphony (at Wolf Trap), San Francisco Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony, Aspen Music Festival, and The Cleveland Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin, as well as European performances in Rome, St. Petersburg, Istanbul, Berlin, and Siena. Additional operatic highlights include Nedda in “I Pagliacci” with Opera Memphis, “Tosca” and “Aida” with Metro Lyric Opera, Musetta in “La Boheme” with Connecticut Grand Opera, and the title role in Carlyle Floyd’s “Susannah” under the baton of James Conlon.
A versatile concert performer, Ms. Davis Fowler’s orchestral engagements include “Carmen” and a concert of the music of Duke Ellington with The Cleveland Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin; Clara in “Porgy and Bess” with the National Symphony conducted by Bobby McFerrin; the soprano solo in Leslie Dunner’s “Songs of a Motherless Child” with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Dallas, Baltimore, and Annapolis Symphonies; and the soprano soloist in “Too Hot to Handel” with Marin Alsop and the Colorado Symphony. She has performed Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9” with the Baltimore Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, and Virginia Symphony. She has sung holiday concerts with the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, Baltimore Symphony, Ft. Wayne Philharmonic, Greensboro Symphony, and the Annapolis Symphony.
Ms. Davis Fowler was invited to appear at the Altenburg Opera Festival in Germany, where she sang the role of Medoro in Handel’s “Orlando” and appeared in concert scenes from “La Forza del Destino” and “Rusalka.”
Ms. Davis Fowler is a graduate of Morgan State University and The Juilliard School, where she received her master’s degree in music. She is currently on the Voice faculty at . In the fall of 2021, she founded Voices United, an ensemble dedicated to exploring civil rights through music, bringing together diverse voices from various backgrounds.
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Media Contact:
Joni Koneval, 330-672-0116, jkoneval@kent.edu