Vocal Performance Alum Selected by State Department as ‘Jazz Ambassador’
September 3, 2019
I love being able to see the world while doing what I love.
Laurin Talese BM ’04 (Vocal Performance) has been selected as one of 17 representatives from 250 auditionees in the U.S. State Department’s American Music Abroad (AMA) program.
Established in 1956, AMA aims to foster cross-cultural connections around the world through music and boasts previous “Jazz Ambassadors” such as Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington.
This fall, Talese will spend two weeks performing and leading educational workshops throughout Eastern Europe. “I want to represent who I am as an individual,” she says, “and let people know that America at large is a little bit more nuanced and complex than it’s painted to be.”
The AMA tour follows up a busy summer for Talese, who spent two months doing a jazz residency at the prestigious Park Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo. “I love being able to see the world while doing what I love,” says Talese.