George Shirley, Latonia Moore, & Rosemary Vega Join Board
ArtSmart is excited to announce the appointment of legendary tenor Dr. George Shirley as Chairman of the Board. Dr. Shirley, a Grammy Award winner and National Medal of Arts recipient, made history as the first African-American tenor to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. His remarkable career spans over 60 years, encompassing performances across major opera houses and a distinguished career in music education.
Joining him on the ArtSmart board are internationally acclaimed soprano Latonia Moore and esteemed New York City principal Rosemary Vega. Latonia Moore is renowned for her compelling performances in leading roles at the world’s top opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera and Royal Opera House. She has garnered praise for her emotive voice and powerful stage presence. Rosemary Vega, a dedicated educator and principal in New York City, has championed education and mentorship, focusing on underserved communities and ensuring that the arts remain an integral part of student development.
Together, Shirley, Moore, and Vega will lead ArtSmart in its mission to provide free, high-quality music mentorship and opportunities to students in underserved communities, ensuring that the transformative power of music remains accessible to all.
George Shirley, Board Chair
George Shirley is a grammy-award winning American tenor and music educator whose trailblazing career has paved the way for generations of African American opera singers. Mr. Shirley was the first African American to be appointed to a high school teaching post in music in Detroit, the first African American member of the United States Army Chorus in Washington, D.C., the first African American singer to win the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (1961), and the first African American tenor to sing leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera. One of his greatest honors came in 2015 when he was bestowed with the National Medal of the Arts by former United States President Barack Obama. He is also the recipient of the National Opera Association’s 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2019 William Warfield Legacy Award for his dedication to the advancement of African American classical vocalists. Mr. Shirley previously served on the faculty of the University of Maryland and is the Joseph Edgar Maddy Distinguished University Emeritus Professor of Voice at the University of Michigan.
Latonia Moore
One of the greatest international sopranos today, Latonia Moore has sung at many of the world’s most important opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera Covent Garden, Staatsoper Berlin, and the Arena di Verona. She has pioneered performances of new operas highlighting untold African American stories and is outspoken on racial inequality and inclusivity in the arts. In 2023, Ms. Moore opened the Metropolitan Opera as Sister Rose in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, and reprised her role there as Billie in Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the first opera by a black composer to ever be performed at the Metropolitan Opera. In the 2021/22 season, she sang Emelda Griffiths in the New York premiere of Blanchard’s Champion at the Metropolitan Opera. Honors and awards include the Maria Callas Award from The Dallas Opera, a Richard Tucker Foundation grant, first prize in the Marseilles Competition, and first prize in the International Competition dell’Opera in Dresden. Ms. Moore is a native of Houston, Texas.
Rosemary Vega
Rosemary Vega is an accomplished professional with a diverse background in education and the arts. She currently serves as the Principal of East Williamsburg Scholars Academy, where ArtSmart has been providing music mentorship programs for five years. In addition to her years of experience as a teacher and assistant principal with the NYC Department of Education, she has served as Dance School Director and Executive Director of Nanette Bearden Contemporary Dance Theatre and as Recreation Director for afterschool programs at YMCA. She has also served as an Adjunct Professor and Program Coordinator of Kingsborough Community College’s College Now program, a FREE college transition/dual enrollment program for New York City Department of Education high school students. Rosemary holds an AS in Science and a BS in Business from the College of Staten Island, an MBA from Long Island University and an SBA from the College of St. Rose.