“Davóne has reshaped the field of opera, expanding representation, diversifying stories, integrating new music genres, framing opera as a tool for community building and developing a new generation of audiences engaging with opera,” said Fiona Coffey, director of the Office for the Arts. “For these reasons and more, we look forward to welcoming Davóne back to campus to receive the prestigious Harvard Arts Medal.”
Tines is a compelling force in the opera world, celebrated for his exceptional vocal talent, innovative artistry, and dedication to expanding the boundaries of classical music. He earned international attention in 2016 during a production of Kaija Saariaho’s chamber opera “Only the Sound Remains,” at the Dutch National Opera. Tines has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Sphinx Medal of Excellence and the Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award. He was named a 2019 Time Next Generation Leader.
He has been a prominent advocate for anti-racism in the performing arts, creating and performing groundbreaking projects that intersect classical music with social justice themes. This includes the multimedia project “Everything Rises,” with violinist Jennifer Koh, “Vigil,” created in response to the killing of Breonna Taylor, and the genre-defying “Recital No. 1: MASS,” which explores identity and spirituality through diverse musical lenses. Tines’ recent work, “Robeson,” is a semi-biographical, one-man tribute to bass-baritone Paul Robeson.
“It is with the deepest gratitude and humility that I receive the Harvard Arts Medal,” said Tines. “At Harvard I began to understand all the parts of the machine and, because of this, have been able to form a deeply rewarding career based on collaboration fueled by the ability to speak multiple languages and translate between beautiful and broad world cultural, historical, technical and artistic practices.”
Established in 1995, the Harvard Arts Medal honors a distinguished Harvard or Radcliffe graduate or faculty member who has achieved excellence in the arts and has contributed through the arts to education or the public good. Previous medal recipients include Yo-Yo Ma ’76, Bonnie Raitt ’72, Pete Seeger ’40, Matt Damon ’92, Colson Whitehead ’91 and Margaret Atwood, A.M. ’62.
The public award ceremony will take place on May 4 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Lowell Lecture Hall. Doors open at 3:30 p.m., no tickets required. At the ceremony, Tines will be in conversation with Diane Paulus, the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director at the A.R.T., and he will perform a selection of music from his “Robeson” and “Recital No. 1: MASS” projects.
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