Cahoots
UMS 101:
A Cappella Vocal Groups
Learn more about Kings Return, an a cappella vocal group, and the tradition of Black vocal music. Co-led by tenor Tyrese Byrd, a doctoral student at U-M, and Sphinx MPower grant recipient LaVonté L. Heard, a member of the EXIGENCE Vocal Ensemble, this 90-minute workshop explores the evolution of a cappella and vocal music ensembles through conversation and demonstration in a fun, casual setting.
Tickets to Kings Return’s performance with Joyce DiDonato are sold separately.
UMS 101 workshops are related to mainstage performances on the UMS season. Workshops are tailored for audience members who want to familiarize themselves with or deepen their understanding of a particular genre and performing artist in a fun, casual learning environment.
Each UMS 101 workshop is facilitated by a professional, community-based practicing artist/educator and features conversation, engaging activities, and live demonstrations that enhance each participant’s experience attending the full performance or can be enjoyed as a stand-alone experience.
Tyrese Byrd is a tenor from Greenville, South Carolina known for his musicianship and expressive tone. He has performed across the midwestern United States, including singing with the Akron Symphony, Madison Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Toledo Opera and the Toledo Symphony, as well as the Chicago-based organization Hearing in Color. His time at the University of Michigan has seen Tyrese in a variety of soloist and operatic roles, most recently Aristé in Orpheus in the Underworld, the Evangelist in Bach’s St. John Passion and the tenor soloist for Mendelssohn’s Elijiah with The University of Michigan Chamber Choir and The Washington Chorus in Argentina.
Tyrese is also passionate about uplifting the music of Black composers who are often excluded from the Western canon. For three years, he’s worked with a research team called Singing Justice with the University of Michigan Humanities Collaboratory. Through the use of seminar-recitals, the group endeavors to infiltrate the concert stage using Black Song.
Tyrese completed his undergraduate studies at Furman University where he studied with Dr. Grant Knox. Tyrese is beginning his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan this fall having completed his Master’s degree in Vocal Performance studying with Dr. Louise Toppin.
Sphinx MPower Grant Recipient LaVonté L. Heard has been lauded worldwide for his versatility in his classical and “fiery” gospel performances. A proud member of Exigence Vocal Ensemble and the Jeremy Winston Chorale International, Heard’s career has taken him all over the world, appearing in China, Europe, South America and the United States. He has been heard with such companies as the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic, Bach Society of Dayton, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Flint Symphony, and Sphinx Virtuosi.
Parallel to his illustrious performance career is Heard’s love of educating children and advocating greater access to the arts worldwide. Affiliated with several national organizations, he served as a music teacher in the Lansing School District in addition to acting as a clinician for masterclasses worldwide. Heard founded Transcendence Vocal Arts Institute in 2019, which developed into the Transcendence Performing Arts Centers, Inc., a growing network of schools and studios in Michigan and beyond. Heard currently teaches a voice studio in TPAC and serves as the inaugural Artistic Director of the Verna D. Holley Project, priZm Chorale and the TPAC Mosaic Children’s Chorus.
Heard is a graduate of The Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio with a degree in Vocal Performance. His graduate work took him to Louisiana State University before coming to Michigan to receive his Master’s of Education in Education Leadership from Central Michigan University and his Master’s of Choral Music Education from University of Michigan. He is currently a Doctoral Student in Education Leadership at Central Michigan University.
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