““Malesha is an incredible performer whose powerful voice has inspired me to write music for her. She is fantastic to work with and will be an asset to any performance in which she is involved.” ”
““Malesha is a talent of astounding ability. At the same time, her professional demeanor makes her an absolute joy to work with. She is disciplined when required, yet not afraid to take risks and be experimental when the moment requires it. She listened carefully to direction and asked thoughtful questions about the nature of the project so that she could more skillfully define her role within it. Her contribution to my recording project was invaluable. I highly recommend her to anyone.”
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BIOGRAPHY
Malesha Jessie Taylor is a versatile vocal artist and songwriter. She is the 2022 National Black Arts Festival Horizon Award Recipient in Music and has also served as Curator-in- Residence with Art of the Atlanta BeltLine 2022-2023.
Her TEDx talk entitled, “What Do You See?” is apart of her developing auto-ethnography Transcending Performance: Exploring Black Liberatory Praxis in Vocal Arts (in-progress). Her writings will document the journey of her creative practice starting with her roots in Black Church music to performing in grand operas, Broadway musicals and later catalytic experiences like composing scores for dance, film and public art installations.
Malesha was commissioned to compose the musical soundtrack Becoming featuring the artwork of TIME Magazine featured painter, Charly Palmer. This project launched the multimedia ensemble BOUQUET which includes composer- musicians, Okorie Johnson (OK CELLO) and Salah Ananse, Producer. The music takes viewers on a sonic journey through the Black Experience from Africa, through the Middle Passage to Spirituals, Ring Shout, Jazz and Afrofuturism. Another project that was paramount in Malesha’s artistic evolution was composing the soundtrack for The Praise Project, which is currently in residence at Emory University with curator, Charmaine Minniefield.
Malesha recently performed in the World Premiere of Yvette Jackson’s Radio Opera Workshop entitled, Left Behind, at the 66th Biennale Festival of Contemporary Art in Venice, Italy. Other works include Fear is their Alibi, an electroacoustic opera on police brutality written for soprano, bassoon and electronics composed by Dr. Yvette Jackson which was apart of the Prototype Opera Festival, New York and Modulation with Los Angeles Opera- Beth Morrison Projects.
Other engagements include solo performances with the Boston Pops Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, and Lincoln Center’s American Orchestra to name a few. Malesha’s operatic credits include the Los Angeles Opera covering Tebaldo in Don Carlo and Javotte in Anna Netrebko’s signature production of Manon. She made her debut with the company as Annie in Porgy and Bess and followed as Cercatrice in film director, William Freidkin’s production of Suor Angelica. She also played the role of Annie in Francesca Zambello’s San Francisco Opera production of Porgy and Bess which is currently in film and shown on Amazon Prime Video. Malesha has worked with notable conductors: John Mauceri, James Conlon, Dean Williamson, John DeMain, John Alexander, Keith Lockhart and Placido Domingo and also captivated audiences throughout Europe as Bess in Porgy and Bess.
In concert music, she has also performed as a soloist with John Williams’ film concert tour Lord of the Rings with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and plays the role of Annie in San Francisco Opera’s filmed PBS performance of Porgy and Bess. Other credits include community and solo performances with the Boston Pops Orchestra, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera, San Diego Opera and the Atlanta Opera.
Malesha has served on the music faculty of Scripps College- The Claremont Colleges, Clark Atlanta University and California State University, San Marcos. She has also guest lectured at Harvard University, Spelman College and California Polytechnical College, Pomona.
Education:
Master of Music degree in Vocal Arts from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles
Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from California State University, Fullerton.
“The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is, it’s to imagine what is possible.”