Acclaimed Opera Singer, Denyce Graves, Debuts Her Lifestyle Cooking Show and Introduces the Denyce Graves Foundation in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Known for her spice-filled performances in Georges Bizet's, Carmen, Denyce Graves has brought her passion for music and food to a new stage--her kitchen! The 2020 global pandemic inspired the commencement of Cooking with Denyce (CWD). As opera houses and concert venues around the world were closed to most musicians, Graves would bring her industry friends together-virtually to cook a variety of recipes with a twist of opera. April 1-4, 2021, Graves will bring CWD to the home of Marc & Diana Reid Chazaud of Pittsburgh for her first off-site taping and introduce The Denyce Graves Foundation (DGF) and its first philanthropic project with the National Opera House (NOH).

"We are very excited to introduce Cooking with Denyce to a few of our friends who are lovers of opera and food. When we learned of the cooking show platform and the launch of the Denyce Graves Foundation, we jumped at the opportunity to support," said Marc Chazaud who along with his wife Diana Reid are founding board members of the Denyce Graves Foundation.

What was originally meant to bring entertainment and cooking to communities of opera lovers, became the springboard for introducing the work Graves and her team have been committed to do in a short few months for the NOH. The team has gained accolades from community leaders such as Esther L. Bush, President & CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, for being able to convince key people in Pittsburgh and the nation about the importance of this structure in Black history and the American story.

CWD not only makes its debut in Pittsburgh this week, but Graves will also have prominent conversations with stake-holders regarding the historic opera house founded by the late Mary Cardwell Dawson. This summer Graves will play the title role in the Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, a new play set to music, at the Glimmerglass Festival in New York, under the artistic direction of Francesca Zambello.

Graves recalled, "When Francesca approached me about the play, I was excited about the project. It wasn't until I read the script in 2020 that I realized this was the same site I visited in 2017 while on a tour during the run of The Summer King, at that point, this all seemed serendipitous."

Playing the role of Grace, in the in The Summer King, allowed Graves to cultivate a now long-standing partnership with Pittsburgh Opera Company, led by her friend, Christopher Hahn, General Director. Notably, Pittsburgh Opera has consistently been committed to diverse artistry and to programming that will expose opera-goers to the type of diversity that exists in the classical music realm; solidifying why this historical project is just as meaningful to the opera company as it is to the Denyce Graves Foundation.

The DGF will meet with the City of Pittsburgh, the Mayor's office, the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, Pittsburgh Opera Company and each organizations' guests. The foundation is reaching its goals with the help of major political and public figures who have joined its mission.

ABOUT COOKING WITH DENYCE AND THE DENYCE GRAVES FOUNDATION:
Cooking with Denyce is a lifestyle show filmed in her kitchen on her Maryland farm with a purpose to engage all the senses. FACEBOOK- Cooking with Denyce

The Denyce Graves Foundation aims to support, educate and empower classical singers through unique coaching programs preparing them for performances on the world's stages.
WEBSITE- https://www.thedenycegravesfoundation.org 

CONTACT:
Melinda N. Gainer, (757) 615-2831
[email protected] 

SOURCE Denyce Graves