Earlier this year, the Legacy Steering Committee announced that three honorees will receive the "Lift Every Voice" Legacy Award: Denyce Graves, Cliff Jackson, and Gail Robinson-Oturu. The awardees will be honored on Friday, January 9th, at a special Legacy Concert honoring their work and the 30th anniversary of the Legacy Project Initiative.

Denyce Graves, American mezzo soprano and director

American mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves has captivated audiences across the globe for over four decades, gracing the world's most esteemed opera houses and concert halls. A consummate artist with an extensive discography, she has been prominently featured on national public television, appearing in celebrated programs ranging from Great Performances to Sesame Street. Ms. Graves has championed world premieres of operas and song cycles, garnered numerous prestigious awards, and triumphed in elite international competitions. Her defining operatic portrayals include the eponymous heroines Carmen and Dalila, and more contemporary Margaret Garner in The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson.

In the 2025-2026 season, Ms. Graves returns to the Metropolitan Opera as Maria in Porgy and Bess. Ms. Graves also helms a new production of Treemonisha at Washington National Opera in her directorial debut with the company. The previous season saw her reprise the role of Maria at Washington National Opera, headline the company's annual gala in American Rhapsody, and direct the world premiere of Loving v. Virginia in a co-production with Virginia Opera and Minnesota Opera as well as The Tongue and The Lash for Town Hall NYC’s James Baldwin Centennial.

Beyond her illustrious performing career, Ms. Graves is a dedicated educator and esteemed faculty member at the Juilliard School and the Peabody Conservatory. An Emmy and GRAMMY Award-winning artist, she has been recognized with multiple honorary Doctorates of Musical Arts, serves as a tireless advocate for the arts, and holds the distinguished title of Global Music Ambassador for the United States. Her enduring legacy is further enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution, where her portrait is part of the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection, and her image is commemorated in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

In 2021, Ms. Graves founded The Denyce Graves Foundation to support vocal artists at every stage of their careers while honoring the trailblazers who came before. The Foundation’s mission is to cultivate and elevate exceptionally gifted singers from all backgrounds, ensuring they have the resources and guidance to reach their full potential. The organization has already made a profound impact, spearheading the successful campaign to preserve the National Opera House in Pittsburgh—an essential but long-overlooked landmark of American cultural history.

While Ms. Graves remains an active performer and sought-after stage director, she envisions her greatest legacy extending beyond the stage. Through The Denyce Graves Foundation, she is shaping the future of vocal artistry, empowering the next generation of extraordinary singers, and illuminating the narratives of pivotal yet underrecognized musical pioneers. Embodying its credo, "Educating is Activism," The Denyce Graves Foundation—and its luminous founder—continue to uplift and inspire, ensuring that the soul of American music resonates for generations to come.

Cliff Jackson, pianist

Cliff Jackson, native of Gary, Indiana, received his Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and pursued graduate studies at the Manhattan School of Music. Cited for his sensitive accompaniments and insightful musicianship, Mr. Jackson has been the pianist for many internationally renowned artists, including Kathleen Battle, Renata Scotto, Simon Estes, Edda Moser, Felicia Weathers, and Gwendolyn Bradley. His skill as a collaborative artist has justly earned him a place on the stages of Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Vienna Musikverein, the Teatro Colon, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

Mr. Jackson was awarded a coaching fellowship by the American Opera Center at the Juilliard School, where he was a coach for two years. He was also the recipient of the Gramma Fischer Scholarship by the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria.

Having studied with such highly esteemed pianists as Leon Bates, Frances Walker, Martin Katz, and Warren George Wilson, Mr. Jackson has been recognized as a leading pianist from among the pool of his peers. He has gained a wide reputation as an outstanding coach of vocal repertoire ranging in scope from Baroque through 20th-century opera, in addition to a breadth of song literature encompassing the vastly divergent stylistic periods.

He has performed as a solo pianist for the Dance Theatre of Harlem, rendering critically acclaimed performers of Tchaikovsky’s Third Piano Concerto and Hindemith’s Four Temperaments. He has also acted as pianist, organist, and harpsichordist while on musical staffs of Miami Opera, Tulsa Opera and Mobile Opera. He was also invited to serve as the head coach for the Central City Opera festival during 1995 and 1997, and as the coach and accompanist for the Chautauqua Opera Festival.

In 1992, Mr. Jackson joined the faculty of University of Kentucky’s School of Music, where he is currently an Associate Professor serving as Vocal Coach for the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre and Voice curriculum.

In 2009, Mr. Jackson received Classical Singer Magazine’s Coach of the Year Award.

Gail Robinson-Oturu

Details about Ms. Robinson-Oturu coming soon.