Concert Info

La’Shelle Allen, Contralto, is a native of Baltimore, Maryland where she began her journey in music at the Baltimore School for the Arts. After graduation, Ms. Allen relocated to New York City to pursue her studies and was hired as Mezzo-Soloist for the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble. This was the beginning of a professional touring career performing nationally and internationally for more 25 years. Highlights of Ms. Allen’s touring work include appearances at St. Peter’s Basilica, Grand Théâtre de Genève and North Sea Jazz Festival de Vienne. Her operatic experience has afforded  her  the opportunity to perform with  Royal  Danish  Opera,  Lyric Opera Chicago,  Houston Grand Opera,  Cincinnati Opera,  Teatro Colon, Bogota,  Teatro Petruzzelli, Bari and Israeli Opera, Tel-Aviv. 

Ms. Allen works not only as a Classical Vocalist but also as Composer/Arranger, Producer, Actress and Recording and Voice-Over Artist.  Locally, Ms. Allen has performed for such venues as the FEI World Equestrian Games, Rolex 3-Day Event, Inauguration of Mayor Jim Gray, National Horse Show, K.R.S.O. at the Lyric Theater, Ball Homes Night of Hope, Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Gala and Grand Night for Singing. Ms. Allen is a member of the Cincinnati Opera Seasonal Chorus and Music Ministry Team at Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. Ms. Allen is the creator of Spirituals In Motion, an educational outreach program focused on teaching the history of American Negro Spirituals and reclaiming the power of the Spiritual to galvanize voices and resolve social issues today.

Jeremy Winston is an innovative leader and musician that has inspired many by sharing his passion with the global community. He is the founder of The Jeremy Winston Chorale, LLC and Associate Professor of Music and Chorus Director at Central State University (CSU) in Ohio, and Director of Music at Kettering Seventh-day Adventist Church.

As conductor, Jeremy recently served as guest conductor to the award-winning Czech National Symphony Orchestra (Prague, Czech Republic) in June 2014 and a return invitation in November (2014), June (2015), July (2016) and for their highly acclaimed Proms Concert Series. In addition to conducting, Jeremy was featured as tenor soloist and pianist. In July of 2015, Jeremy guest conducted the EAFIT Symphony Orchestra in a production of Porgy and Bess and his arrangements of various gospel selections in Medellin, Colombia (South America). These selections, known as The Gospel Symphony, were received with a standing ovation to filled house in Medellin’s Teatro Metropolitano.

Jeremy’s compositions and arrangements have been performed by many leading musicians and ensembles including The Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Grammy-nominated a capella group Take6, The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, The 105 Voices of History National Choir, and many independent choral ensembles.

Other recent career highlights include a performance for President Barack and Michelle Obama with The Jeremy Winston Chorale at The White House in December of 2015 and 2012. This professional ensemble created by Jeremy won the gold medal championship at The World Choir Games in Cincinnati, OH, in July of 2012. In his previous post as director of The Award-Winning Wilberforce University Choir, Jeremy led this ensemble in a performance at The White House for President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama. Other highlights with this ensemble include performances with Wynton Marsalis and The Lincoln Jazz Orchestra, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, The Dayton Opera as cast and chorus of the great American opera Porgy and Bess, and featured on title track of the major motion picture Amazing Grace.

Jeremy’s creativity and talents are making an indelible impact in the world of higher education as they are in music. His article HBCUs: A Deficit of Discipline was published in Forbes.com in October in 2016. Addressing many of the issues in the higher education community, in this article Jeremy outlines a sound plan to address these issues at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Sought after as an educator and clinician, in 2011 Jeremy served as choral director for University of California Berkeley’s Young Musicians Program. In 2010 he received the John F. Kennedy Medal for his leadership as a National Conductor for the 105 Voices of History Concert Choir at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In April of 2012, Oakwood University recognized Jeremy as an outstanding alumnus.

Jeremy Winston is a graduate of Oakwood University (2001) with a bachelor of arts degree in music and Morgan State University (2003) with a master of arts degree.

Jeremy is married to the former Angelique Samuel of Queens, New York and is the proud father of three girls, Jordyn (10), Joelle (7), and Jada (2).