Langston Hughes’ words filled the Morrison Theater at Brockman Hall for Opera Oct. 9, both spoken and sung, as Grammy-winning singer Julia Bullock and an ensemble of students from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music performed a recital Bullock curated around Hughes’ poetry and the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance.
Sopranos Dejah Watts and Shikta Mukherjee, baritone Christopher Gray, violinist Fiona Shea and clarinetist Eliza Reimold shared the stage with Bullock, the Shepherd School’s 2026-27 Aleko Endowed Artist, and pianist Lyndsi Maus, artist teacher of opera studies. A sizable crowd gave the performers a warm reception.
The recital came early in Bullock’s residency, which continues through Oct. 16 and gives students extended time working directly with her.
