About the Artist

“Justin Austin showed off a mighty lyric voice with dramatic flair at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan on Tuesday evening. Austin’s tone is deep and earthy, with a firmly stitched timbre that withstands some high-octane singing.” (The New York Times)

Austin debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Marcellus in Brett Dean’s Hamlet, and sang the leading role of Charles Blow in Fire Shut Up In My Bones by Terrance Blanchard at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He is one of the rising stars of his generation.

American pianist Howard Watkins is a frequent associate of some of the world’s leading musicians on the concert stage and as an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera.

He has accompanied the classes of legendary artists Renata Scotto, Frederica von Stade, Regine Crespin, Birgit Nilsson, Sherrill Milnes, and George Shirley

Pre-concert Talk

Pre-concert talk, hosted by Kurt Zeller at 2:00pm