American mezzo-soprano Alexis Davis-Hazell’s performances have earned accolades for the size and quality of her instrument, and the dramatic intensity she brings to supporting characters. Alexis’ soloist appearances since contributing to the GRAMMY™ award-winning album Gretchaninov: Passion Week with the Phoenix Chorale include symphonic works such as Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky, Dvořak Stabat Mater, Duruflé Requiem, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with orchestras in the southeast and southwest U.S.; the International Alonzo Ortiz Tirado Opera Festival in Sonora, Mexico; and a variety of roles and cover assignments ranging from Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte), La Frugola (Il Tabarro) and La Badessa (Suor Angelica) in Puccini’s Il Trittico, to Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Amneris (Aida), Azucena (Il Trovatore) and Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana) with regional opera companies such as Arizona Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Mississippi Opera, Opera Birmingham, and Cincinnati Opera.

Among her career highlights are the more than 130 performances of The Gershwins’ masterwork Porgy and Bess. She gained an invaluable cultural and professional education singing the roles of Maria, Lily and Strawberry Woman as a principal and ensemble swing in international venues on tour. These performances include critically acclaimed productions at the Dresden SemperOper, Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Dusseldorf, Hamburgische Staatsoper, the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus, the Mikhailovsky Opera in St. Petersburg, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Polish National Opera, Kuressaare Operadays Festival in Estonia, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, and San Francisco Opera.

The current National President-Elect of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Dr. Davis-Hazell continues to be an interdisciplinary collaborator, featured guest artist, clinician, and music humanities lecturer nationally and at international conferences of voice, opera, and arts research alliances. Her research centers on the improvement of lyric diction curricula through teaching Russian Art song literature, and the advocacy of under programmed vocal repertoire. She is also a serial collaborator across disciplines and these interests include: the impact of performing arts training on well-being for Alabama youth, the intersection of Blackface Minstrelsy and contemporary voice performance practice, and promotion of vocal literature by African American women composers.

Dr. Davis-Hazell serves on the faculty of The University of Alabama School of Music as Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies, Assistant Professor of Voice and Lyric Diction, and a College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Board Faculty Fellow. She holds degrees in Vocal Performance from Temple University (B.M. Hons.) and Arizona State University (M.M., D.M.A.)