Davóne Tines – Meet The ‘Electrifying’ Singer Rewriting The Rules

US-born baritone Davóne Tines, renowned for his work in opera and gospel, has been described as an “electrifying” performer (The Guardian). The Grammy-nominated singer, named Musical America’s Vocalist of the Year in 2022, is appearing at the Wesley Centre, in Harrogate, on 12 June. He will perform a wide-ranging repertoire that weaves classical music from the likes of Handel and Bach, alongside African American spirituals and contemporary compositions. Ahead of his recital at the HACS Harrogate Music Festival, Davóne talks about his musical journey…

Tell us a little bit about your musical background.

I’ve had a pretty multi-faceted musical life. I started in the Black Baptist Church in rural Virginia, in the US, and I’ve been performing with and for people as far back as I can remember. I started quite young singing in a choir. I thought pianos were fascinating and I just wanted to learn, so that was a foundational instrument. Then I transitioned to the violin because I had an appetite for being in an orchestra.

Who inspired you to first start performing?

My grandfather realised I had a unique singing voice and encouraged me to try things with my voice. But generally, it was just a long path of curiosity and trying out different things. It’s very different singing in a church choir as opposed to playing with a chamber orchestra.

What attracted you to classical music, rather than other music genres?

My voice has operatic qualities and abilities, and I chose to go to a conservatory [Davóne studied at the acclaimed Juilliard School in New York] because I wanted to gain skills to be a better singer writ large.

What can you tell us about Recital No. 1: MASS and your Harrogate Music Festival programme?

This programme was invented when I was invited to give my debut recital at Carnegie Hall [in New York]. I wanted to be very intentional about what my first artistic statement as a recitalist would be. I wanted to make a programme that was extremely personal and demonstrative of my journey. I also wanted to make it not entirely religious. So even though I was using liturgical music to make a programme that was non-denominational, I wanted to invite people to engage with their own human experiences.

What have been your music career highlights so far?

The first time I sang at the Palais Garnier in Paris, directed by my favourite theatre director Peter Sellars in an opera that was written for me, with my grandmother in the audience. I think that was a clear way of saying, ‘I’ve accomplished something, grandma!’

Who have been your biggest musical influences?

Julius Eastman, the composer, is a huge one. I’ve been getting to know his work for the past decade and I find the way that I compose things now, or devise pieces instrumentally, is starting to come out in structures that are related to his practice. So it’s interesting that an idol of mine has inadvertently shaped how I create.

What advice would you give upcoming artists wanting to follow in your footsteps?

I would say for all artists and musicians, always be thinking about how you are connected to the art that you are making, or sharing. I mean that in a very literal way. You shouldn’t sing a song unless you have a clear meaning of how its text and musical contours are a metaphor for your own lived experiences. It’s our job to be closing the distance between the material and ourselves.

What are you looking forward to about coming to Harrogate?
I’ve never been to Harrogate before and I’m so excited to be sharing my programme with a new audience and in a new environment. Everyone has been extremely welcoming so far and I’m really looking forward to it.

How important is it to reach new audiences as an artist?

You can’t be everything to everyone, but you can hopefully offer something that engages with as many people as possible. I try to make things that benefit those people who interact with them.

What do you most enjoy about performing live and why is it still important in our digital age?

As a performer, I’m addicted to live performing because I feel I’m at my most alive when I’m performing. And from an audience perspective it’s critical. Humans are social beings and part of that is the need for social connection. Is it important that people come together? It’s such an interesting question because it’s a question of modernity, and we only ask it because we realise the adverse effects of the digital world we live in.

Is it important for young people in the arts to have role models?

It’s useful for people to see examples of what’s possible generally. Personally, I’m just trying to be as honest with what I make, and as facile with how I make it, as possible. And I hope that can inspire someone else to explore doing the same.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
Janelle Monae – an incredible, experimental solo R&B singer.

Davóne Tines | Wesley Centre, Harrogate | Friday, 12 June, 8pm. Tickets £28. Book online at harrogateinternationalfestivals.com or call the box office on 01423 562 303.