voices of hartford
our founders and our founding
Voices of Hartford was founded in June of 2021 by Artistic Director Miles Wilson-Toliver and the Hartford-based professional choral ensemble Voce. Voices of Hartford works closely with leadership in the communities it serves to ensure that its programming addresses the needs of young people living and working in Hartford’s neighborhoods.
Miles Wilson-Toliver
Artistic Director
Miles is a lifelong resident of Hartford and a world-class operatic bass-baritone. In addition to his singing career, Miles is an advocate for diversity, equity, access, and inclusivity in the arts, and a voice teacher. His Operatic debut, (A Gathering of Sons 2017) won a New York Film Festival Award for “Best Opera Dealing with Social justice and Societal Unrest.” Miles co-founded Voices of Hartford in 2021 with the goal of providing a safe place for young men of color to develop their musical abilities. Miles holds a BM in vocal performance from Carnegie Mellon University.
voce
Voce is a professional choral ensemble based in Hartford, CT. Since its founding in 2006, Voce has brought some of the world’s finest choral composers to Hartford’s audiences, and has recorded albums with composers Morten Lauridsen, Paul Mealor, and Andrew Hawes. Voce is widely recognized for its transcendent choral sound and the healing power of its music. Voce is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and Voices of Hartford is an educational initiative of Voce.
Voce’s mission is to Serve Harmony, which includes making musical experiences available to young singers. Recognizing the devastating effects of COVID on residents of all ages in Hartford’s communities, and finding that choral and instrumental instruction is not offered in most of Hartford’s schools, Voce committed to creating opportunities for young people in Hartford to make music and build their musical skills. Voce’s goal is to make sure that young Hartford musicians get the experience and training they need to become full members of Hartford’s performing arts community. Voce is committed to creating an arts community that values diversity, supports equity, and ensures accessibility and inclusivity. There is no Harmony without justice.
For more information about Voce, please visit its website: www.voceinc.org.