About

MONIFA HARRIS

MEZZO-SOPRANO

Mezzo soprano, Monifa Harris, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, raised in Florida by parents of both Jamaican and Guyanese heritage. She holds these family roots close to her heart.  Her superb voice has been described as "thunder coated in honey" and she is sought after for her clarity of diction and warm dramatic expression.  Classical Voice North Carolina praised
Ms. Harris in a review as having "a strong, even voice {that} conveyed the evolution of Miss Todd from staid respectability, through inflamed long-repressed desire, to desolation."  (William Thomas Walker)
During the 71st season of North Carolina Master Chorale, she debuted as alto soloist in A Child of Our Time by Michael Tippet with two choirs and orchestra. She had the opportunity to prepare Carmen with Sing Through Central, under the auspices of the Metropolitan Opera Guild in New York, perform the role of Madame Rosa in Donizetti’s opera, Il Campanello di notte with Capitol Opera  Raleigh and Ms. Todd in Old Maid and the Thief with Triangle Opera Studios.  Ms. Harris also performed La Principessa in Suor Angelica with Singer’s Theatre of Washington and has performed as Florence Pike in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring at Meredith College.  She has also performed with Opera Company of North Carolina, North Carolina Ballet, and the Bulgarian Opera Orchestra.
Ms. Harris finished her postgraduate studies at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, after completing her undergraduate degree at the University of North Florida where she studied with Dr. William Brown.  She recently studied with Katherine Kaufman Posner.  Her achievements are not limited to singing opera but include creating Singer's Circle, a new organization of professional and talented amateur singers which provides training and performance opportunities to singers. She also has a voice studio. Other creative musical projects including: "Flying High" with Panayotis Terzakis which highlights spirituals, fusing them with Greek Folk Songs and classical work, as well as Voice Coach/Collaborator/Songwriter for the production "No One Hurts You More Than S/Mother" with Shannon Wong Lerner whose paper "Breath, Voice and Dance" was published in French philosopher Luce Irigaray's book Breathing With Irigaray. 

Performer, Teacher and Coach she is here to taste the miraculous properties of life and add her selection to the buffet.

Partake below ;)