Shelby Banks is a lyric soprano from New York. She has performed in concert halls throughout the US and Europe, including her recent debut performance at Carnegie Hall in a tribute to Paul Robeson. Ms. Banks has received acclaim for her performances of “Ancestral Legacy: A Concert of African American Song,” which features musical works depicting the African and African American experience. Some additional career highlights include: being invited to perform for the touring exhibit of the Amistad Freedom Schooner; singing at the church of Abraham Lincoln, New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC for a celebration of President Obama’s inauguration; and performing as a guest of the International Slavery Museum for Slavery Remembrance Day in Liverpool, England. Ms. Banks was a North Carolina Regional Finalist in both the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Leontyne Price Vocal Competition. In addition to her musical career, Ms. Banks has produced contemporary theater including “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf,” “The Wiz,” and touring concert performances for “Music Amongst Friends.” Ms. Banks is frequently sought out for her master classes and workshops on the Interpretation and History of Negro Spirituals and is currently a Principal Teaching Artist for New York City Opera.