Dr. Brian L. Fenderson, baritone, earned a Doctorate in Voice Performance from the University of South Carolina (Columbia, S.C.), under the mentorship of Dominic Armstrong. His doctoral research focuses on Career Readiness for Voice Performance Majors at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, a topic he will present at the 2026 National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. General Convention (Norfolk, VA). Dr. Fenderson also holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Delaware and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lincoln University of Pennsylvania.

Recently, Dr. Fenderson appeared as the Baritone Soloist for the Charles V. Stanford Songs of the Fleet (Columbia, SC); returned to the historic 90th Anniversary, Grammy winning production of Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera House (New York, NY); as a Tenet Vocal Artists Tenet Trailblazer (New York, NY), and served as a Guest Artist and Clinician at Arts High School (Newark, NJ) and Jackson State University (Jackson, MS). Dr. Fenderson participated as a Guest Artist with the Creative Academy of Music, founded by 2026 Pulitzer-Prize winning composer, Gabriela Lena Frank. He also performed the role of Rickey Jackson in “Blind Injustice” by Scott Davenport Richards with Opera Theatre of the Rockies (Colorado Springs, CO) during their 25th Anniversary Season. In addition, he performed in the 50th Anniversary Season of Des Moines Metro Opera (Des Moines, IA) in their historic production of Porgy and Bess, marking the final bow of the legendary Black Opera Singer, Simon Estes. Dr. Fenderson has performed with MusikTheater Bavaria (Germany), Berlin Opera Academy (Switzerland), and studied at the Wales International Academy of Voice (Wales) under tenor Dennis O’Neill, CBE, sopranos Dame Kiri te Kanawa and Nuccia Focile, Marek Ruszczynski, coach at the Royal Opera House in London, and Stephen Hopkins, conductor at the Wiener Staatsoper.

Dr. Fenderson was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda, National Music Honor Society, and is certified in Intercultural Inclusion and Diversity Learning. He is a recipient of the New Jersey Juneteenth Excellence 40 Under 40 Award and was awarded a Presidential Fellowship at the University of South Carolina. Previously, he served as the Director of Music, Arts, and Cultural Programs at the Nia Fellowship Baptist Church (West Orange, NJ). Dr. Fenderson is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, Inc., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), the National Opera Association (NOA), the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. (NANM, Inc.), and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). For more information: brianfenderson.wixsite.com/fenderson