Nkeiru Okoye is a Guggenheim Fellow, and American Prize–winning composer, librettist, conductor, and cultural thought leader whose music redefines the boundaries of contemporary classical music. Her operas, oratorios, orchestral, and chamber works are celebrated for their dramatic power, expressive clarity, and richly narrative voice, often weaving improvisatory techniques into classical craft. She has been praised by The New York Times for Black Bottom, calling it “one of the most engrossing musical portraits of Black history in the available repertoire,” by The Washington Post for her “attuned dramatic sensitivity,” and by I Care If You Listen for writing that “joyfully danced from gospel and spirituals to operatic solos, cinematic orchestral interludes, minimalist riffs, and spoken word.”

 

Her music has been commissioned and performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Royal Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, at Tanglewood, Houston Grand Opera, Juilliard, and Opera North UK. She has served as Creator-in-Residence with the Louisville Orchestra’s pioneering Creator Corps and is currently the William Levi Dawson Composer-in-Residence with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra.

 

Her catalog spans opera, oratorio, orchestral, and chamber music, reflecting a versatility that places her at the center of today’s concert stage. Among her most celebrated works are Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom — her first opera and libretto, a cornerstone of modern American opera that also inspired the frequently performed standalone cycle Songs of Harriet Tubman; When the Caged Bird Sings, an expansive oratorio honoring Black resilience and spirituality; and Voices Shouting Out, her 9/11–themed orchestral work, which has become a staple of the repertoire and has been conducted by Gustavo Dudamel among many others. Her chamber work We Met at the Symphony, based on three sung monologues she wrote, earned The American Prize in Vocal Chamber Music. Her piano miniature "Dusk" (from African Sketches) was featured on Isabel Pérez Dobarro’s 2024 album Kaleidoscope: Contemporary Piano Music by Female Composers from Around the World, which received a Latin Grammy nomination in 2025. Her music will also be featured in the upcoming PBS documentary W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause.

 

Her forthcoming debut CD on NAXOS will be the first devoted entirely to her music. Additional recordings of her works appear on Albany Records, MSR Classics, Naxos, and Pentatone. Upcoming commissions include a new piano suite for pianist Orli Shaham, commissioned through Juilliard’s Kayden Music Commissioning Program; Dance ’Til You Drop for Swiss pianist and conductor David Greilsammer; the children’s opera Dear Olly (based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo) for Opera North UK; A Time for Jubilee (commissioned by the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra), commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery March; and a to-be-announced work that will debut as part of the America 250 celebration.

 

Her works for piano and chamber ensemble have been championed by pianist Orli Shaham and NPR host Lara Downes; and her crossover collaborations have featured jazz and gospel luminaries such as Cyrus Chestnut, Jubilant Sykes, and Grammy-nominated vocalist Christie Dashiell.

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A passionate advocate for community engagement and representation in classical music, Okoye created Cocktails, Cookies & the Composer™ to introduce first-time concertgoers—particularly adults of color—into classical music in welcoming, intimate settings. The series became a national model and was incorporated into premiere events across the country. Most recently, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra launched The Dr. Nkeiru Okoye Project, a multi-faceted initiative designed to bring her music to new audiences and communities. Beyond her residencies and commissions, she is a sought-after educator and mentor, sharing her expertise through faculty appointments and guest lectures at leading institutions, from Juilliard to the Royal Opera House in London.

 

Nkeiru Okoye’s work amplifies overlooked stories, expands the sound of American classical music, and affirms her place among today’s leading composers.