Edward Washington II and Timothy Amukele Return to Stetson for Guest Artist Visit
Stetson alumnus and tenor Edward Washington II and composer-pianist Dr. Timothy Amukele visited the School of Music for two days of performance, teaching, and work with students in voice and composition.
Washington began the visit Thursday afternoon with a masterclass for Stetson voice students featuring four student singers. His work focused especially on vocal technique, using experience-based language to help students find greater vocal continuity and freedom. He drew on his own experience as a professional singer and on the expectations and standards of the industry.
That evening, Washington and Amukele presented a recital in Lee Chapel of music composed and arranged by Amukele. The program included art songs, spirituals, music from Amukele’s opera KANDAKE, and the world premiere of An African Treasury, a new song cycle written for Washington as part of their ongoing collaboration.
The recital was a powerful example of the relationship between composer and singer. Amukele’s writing consistently kept the story and meaning of the text at the center, and Washington gave a demanding, sustained performance with remarkable intensity and commitment. Hearing an entire program shaped by one composer’s musical point of view, performed by the singer for whom much of that music was written, made the evening especially meaningful.
Washington’s return to Stetson also brought together several generations of the School of Music community. Current students attended alongside alumni who had been students with Washington and retired faculty members who were teaching at Stetson during his time here. Students from Bethune-Cookman University also attended the recital, extending the evening’s sense of connection beyond the Stetson community.
For current students, there was something especially meaningful about seeing a Stetson alumnus return to Lee Chapel as an accomplished professional artist, performing new music in collaboration with its composer. For former classmates and faculty, the recital was also a chance to reconnect with Washington and with one another. It was a special night, both musically and for the community gathered in the room.
The visit continued Friday morning when Amukele met with Stetson composition students. Their conversation included writing for the voice, setting texts, creative process, and career paths in music. The formal session continued into an informal follow-up conversation, with Amukele generously giving additional time to students who wanted to keep talking.
Across the two days, the visit connected singer and composer, voice and composition students, and current members of the School of Music with alumni and former faculty. The masterclass, recital, and composition session each offered a different view of how musical work is built through collaboration, and how those relationships can continue across careers, disciplines, and generations.