Alicia Olatuja is a mezzo-soprano singer from St. Louis, Missouri, and a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music’s master’s programme in vocal performance. Her training includes musical theatre and opera, and during her studies she sings roles including Despina in The Three Little Pigs and Cosi Fan Tutte, Mae Jones in Street Scene, Zaneeta Shinn in The Music Man, Rhoda in All That Glitters, Elsa Schraeder in The Sound of Music, Keisha in Elijah’s Kite, Nina in The Consol, Zita in Gianni Schicchi, and parts in Sweeney Todd and Dialogues of the Carmelites.

Early performance work

Olatuja makes her professional debut as Sacagawea in the world premiere operetta Corps of Discovery at Opera Memphis. She also performs selected scenes at Carnegie Hall, the University of Virginia and the Kennedy Center, and later gives her recital debut at Carnegie Hall.

Style and collaborations

Alongside opera and musical theatre, she performs in a range of styles as a soloist with the Juilliard Jazz Ensemble and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. She also appears with recording artists including Christian McBride, Chaka Khan and Bebe Winans. Her work spans jazz, smooth jazz, neo soul and world music.

Olatuja Project

She performs regularly in the United States and internationally with her husband in the African jazz group the Olatuja Project, where she sings in African languages including Yoruba and Shona. The group releases its debut album, The Promise.

Other work

Olatuja also works as a voice teacher, vocal producer, teaching artist for the Brooklyn Arts Council and diction specialist. In addition to stage and concert work, she appears in the world premiere of the dramatic musical From the Fire in New York and presents the work at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She also takes part in the European tour of The LaMama Cantata.

Notable appearance

She performs with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at President Obama’s inauguration in January 2013.