This past August 14 – 17, 2019, Sneed held the Damien Sneed Foundation’s inaugural Performing Arts Institute in his hometown, Augusta, Georgia at his mentor’s school, the Jessye Norman School of Arts.  The inaugural Performing Arts Institute’s first class included both high school and undergraduate students in the disciplines of music (instrumental music, vocal music, musical theater, music technology), drama (theater, playwriting, screenwriting), dance (ballet, modern, hip-hop) and entrepreneurship. 

Sneed was recently named a 2019 Artist-in-Residence at the Carr Center in Detroit, MI, along with Debbie Allen, George Shirley, and Savion Glover. In May, 2019 he served as Music Director for the 103^rd Pulitzer Prize Awards ceremony at Columbia University in New York City.

Highlight’s of Damien’s 2019-2020 calendar include the following: 

presenting his newly composed Broadway musical, BROTHER NAT, with book by award-winning author Jabari Asim at the New York Musical Festival in July 2019;

Conducting Scott Joplin’s opera TREEMONISHA at the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice in Phoenicia, NY on August 3, 2019;

Performing the world premiere of his new composition OUR JOURNEY: 400 YEARS FROM AFRICA TO JAMESTOWN commemorating the arrival of African slaves to Jamestown, VA at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium on October 11, 2019;

Lecturing on Arts Leadership & Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor on October 29, 2019;

Lecturing at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Swing Academy on The History of Gospel Music for three classes in November 2019;

Conducting and lecturing on Wynton Marsalis’ ABYSSINIAN MASS at the National Collegiate Choral Organization’s Biennial Conference at the University of Maryland – College Park on November 8 – 9, 2019;

Conducting Wynton Marsalis’ ABYSSINIAN MASS with Wynton Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Chorale Le Chateau at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater on November 21 – 23, 2019;

Finally Damien will perform and star in the 2^nd WE SHALL OVERCOME TOUR, a 40 date Nationwide tour from January 12, 2020 – March 14, 2020 throughout the US and Canada

For more information on Damien Sneed and LeChateau Earl Records, go to www.damiensneed.com and www.lechateauearl.com. For more information about the Damien Sneed Foundation and the Performing Arts Institute, go to www.DamienSneedFoundation.org.