The Atlanta Opera at Sunday in the Park 2018

At this year’s Sunday in the Park, Historic Oakland Foundation is pleased to announce a partnership with the Atlanta Opera. Artists Jayme Alilaw and Brittney Boykin will be performing spirituals and works by African American composers at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the historic African American burial grounds.
About the artists:

Jayme Alilaw thrives in the operatic, classical, and spiritual repertoires. Jayme has performed roles from the standard operatic repertoire as well as the contemporary canon, often premiering original works. Jayme is a resident artist with The Atlanta Opera and has been featured in studio tour and community performances. She is also a General Company member at Dad’s Garage Theater Company and is a founding member of ImprOper, an operatic improvisation team.  A veteran of the U.S. Army, Ms. Alilaw frequently sang for military ceremonies throughout the United States and the Middle East.

Driven by a passion for traditional spirituals and an advocate for the performance of works by African American composers, Jayme is highly sought to perform concerts, recitals and present her research at academic conferences, colleges, and museums across the country. Jayme is currently touring La Femme Noire: The Celebrated Woman, a program that highlights works by African American women composers and poets while celebrating the contributions of African American women operatic performers. Jayme is the Founder and CEO of Music After School, offering group and individual music lessons as an enrichment through aftercare programs, in-home lessons, workshops and summer camps.

Composer and Concert Pianist Brittney Boykin (B.E. Boykin) is a native of Alexandria, Virginia. After graduating from Spelman College in 2011 with a B.A. in Music, Ms. Boykin continued her studies at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. She continued to compose music during her time at Westminster and was awarded the R & R Young Composition Prize just a few months shy of graduating. In May of 2013, Ms. Boykin graduated from Westminster Choir College with a M.M. in Sacred Music with a concentration in choral studies.

Among her professional endeavors, Ms. Boykin has also been featured as the conductor/composer-in-residence for the 2017 Harry T. Burleigh Commemorative Spiritual Festival at Tennessee State University. Ms. Boykin’s instrumental and choral works are currently being published and distributed through her own publishing company, Klavia Press. She is currently pursuing a PhD with an emphasis in Music Education from Georgia State University.

These performances are generously supported by The Jackson Group., PC, CPAs.