We caught up with Travis Guillory, tenor soloist of our October orchestra series, Celebrating Black Excellence, a few days before his first performances with CityMusic. Here’s what he had to say about his debut with CityMusic, his experience with operatic singing, and how an arm to the face inspired his favorite performance.

CityMusic celebrates the wonder of African American musical heritage in this brilliant program featuring a piece by one of the most revered living black composers, Jessie Montgomery, and the vocal talents of Oberlin Conservatory’s own Travis Guillory, Elizabeth Hanje, and Benhur Mosazghi.