BACK STORY
Jasmine Muhammad is a versatile vocalist, bridging the gaps between the opera house, the harmonic space of background vocals, and the intimate recitals of art songs, spirituals and jazz standards. After completing three successful years as a Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist, Ms. Muhammad continues her work as a Manhattan-based freelance musician.
For her 2021-2022 season, Ms. Muhammad was featured as an ensemble member in the Metropolitan Opera's premiere of Terrence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up in my Bones as well as Porgy & Bess, Die Meistersinger, Turandot and Boris Gudonav. After a two year hiatus, Lincoln Center Theater premieres Ricky Ian Gordon's new opera Intimate Apparel for which Ms. Muhammad is an ensemblist and Esther cover. In the spring, she will premiere The Homestead by Dana Kaufman, a new work commissioned by Amherst College about Emily Dickinson.
Other recent engagements include Kanye West's operatic presentations of Nebuchadnezzar and Mary. She was also on the 2019-2020 roster of American Opera Project's Composers & the Voice fellowship program and has rejoined them for their 2021-2022 cycle.
Past seasons include performances as Hattie in the 2017 Pittsburgh Opera world premiere of The Summer King. During the 2014-2015 season she appeared as Rodelinda in Handel's Rodelinda and Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen. In 2013-2014 she appeared as High Priestess in Verdi's Aida, First Lady in Mozart's The Magic Flute, Eliza in Muhly's Dark Sisters, Mimi in the student matinee production of Puccini's La bohème, Countess Ceprano in Verdi's Rigoletto and Elisetta in Il matrimonio segreto. Other performances include Woman in a Hat and Duchess in The Ghosts of Versailles with Manhattan School of Music Opera Studio and First Lady in Die Zauberflöte with Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance.
Ms. Muhammad has sung background vocals for John Legend and Sharon Jones with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the Marvin Gaye What’s Going On tribute at Hollywood Bowl. She has also performed with Warren Haynes on the Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration Tour for two consecutive years. In addition to live performances, she has also recorded backing vocals for Karen O, Benjamin Booker, Kanye West, Warren Haynes, Kevin Morby, and Michael Kiwanuka.
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Ms. Muhammad is a 2015-2016 Sullivan Foundation Award winner and 2015 Harlem Opera Theater Vocal Competition - First Place winner. In addition, she was a 2014-2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council District winner and received Encouragement Awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council-Pittsburgh District in 2013-2014 and 2012-2013. She also received a Commendation for Excellence from the 2014 Mildred Miller International Voice
Competition.
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Ms. Muhammad holds a masters degree in Voice from Manhattan School of Music and a bachelors degree in Vocal Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts.