Praised by opera critic Voce di Meche for his “juicy, booming and room-filling bass” accompanied by “mesmerizing, fully- immersed acting,” basso profondo, Edwin Jhamal Davis is a proud native of Utica, MS. He is an alumnus of Jackson State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology Pre/Medicine with dual minors in Chemistry and Music. In the Spring of 2014, while studying voice with soprano Phyllis Lewis- Hale, he made his professional debut with the Mississippi Opera Company in the role of Simone in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. He is a Master’s Degree recipient of the prestigious Manhattan School of Music where he studied with well-acclaimed baritone, Mark Oswald, and has participated in a number of professional and academic engagements in the concert and opera repertoire; these include appearing as guest soloist at various national venues such as Pompano Beach Orchestra’s presentation of Handel’s Messiah, Bronx Concert Singers’ Winter and Spring presentations, St. Mark’s presentation of Messiah, Verdi’s Luisa Miller as Wurm, Osmin in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Mozart’s Don Giovanni as Maseto, and covering Reverend Olin Blitch in Susannah by Carlisle
Floyd. After having graduated, Edwin is now an in-demand freelance artist featuring in recitals, concerts, and opera tours in greater New York City and nationally. He recently sang the world premiere of Brother Nat: Rise, Revolt, Redemption in the role of Will at the Boston Paramount theater. He was also recently a featured vocalist in the symphonic premiere of Without Regard to Sex, Race or Color, a musical work inspired by the photographic artistry of Andrew Feiler and composed by Doug Hooker. He was crowned the national title for the Marian Anderson Vocal Arts Competition hosted by the National Association of Negro Musicians in its centennial celebration and is also a Metropolitan Opera Eastern Region award winner. Mr. Davis continued expansion of his repertoire and artistry by accepting the appointment as Bass Resident Artist with the Portland Opera of the Hampton Opera Center in Oregon 2020-2021, where he become one of the first African Americans to claim one of the top two prizes in Opera Columbus’s Cooper-Bing International voice competition. He has made 2021-22 debuts with On Site Opera, Florentine Opera and Detroit Opera. Ending his ‘22 season, he will debut the role of Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at the world-renowned Merola Opera in San Francisco.