Lyric baritone Tommy Watson is associate professor of music at Anderson University in South Carolina where he is the founder and director of Opera Workshop. He made his opera debut in Cartona, Italy and has appeared in several operas with Brevard Music Center and South Carolina Opera Theatre. He has been a soloist in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston.
Mr. Watson is the recipient of both the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in performance from the University of South Carolina. He has coached with renowned artists including the late William Warfield.
Lori Hicks
Lori Celeste Hicks debuted with
Internationally, Ms. Hicks has been featured in concerts and recitals throughout Italy and France and is a frequent performer in the Midwest. Ms. Hicks has been the winner of several vocal competitions including the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Competition in the South Carolina and Michigan districts.
A native of Detroit Michigan, Ms. Hicks is the recipient of the Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan (2007), Masters of Music from Bowling Green State University (2004), and Bachelors of Music Education from Kentucky State University (2002). She currently is Professor of Voice and Opera at Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC. Her appearance with the Brevard Philharmonic at its “Mozart to Gershwin” concert last February was enthusiastically received.
