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Explores the transformative power of Afro-Latin artistic expression to reclaim history and inspire modern liberation. This talk highlights the missions of Instituto Cimarrón and the Afro-Latinx Song & Opera Project, where every note and narrative becomes a form of creative resistance. Join us on a journey through music and storytelling that resonates with the enduring spirit of cimarronaje, celebrating the freedom found in art and culture. 
 

Dr. Zuly Inirio is an Afro-Latina Dominican-American soprano, scholar, and TEDx speaker, originally from the Dominican Republic and currently based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is known for her advocacy in promoting Afro-Latinidad within classical music. As the founder of the Afro-Latinx Song & Opera Project, she has commissioned new works from Afro-Latin composers and championed underrepresented voices in the classical canon. 
 
 Her performance credits include Verdi’s Requiem in Munich and Aida in Sicily. Dr. Inirio has collaborated with esteemed institutions such as Lincoln Center, Duolingo, and Carnegie Mellon University, and she is affiliated with organizations like NALAC, 1Hood’s Artivist Academy, The Scale Fellowship, Opera America’s Opera Leaders of Color, and SphinxLEAD. 
 
 With a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from Louisiana State University and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Inirio integrates her artistic and community-driven influences into her international and domestic work, advocating for equity and inclusion in classical music. She continues to perform, speak, and collaborate on projects that reflect the cultural richness of Afro-Latinx communities and broader social justice movements. 

Special guest Zuly Inirio