Alicia Waller

Alicia Waller is recognized for her work as bandleader for the jazz fusion ensemble Alicia Waller & The Excursion. A multi-talented singer-songwriter with a background as an operatic soprano, Alicia has since focused on soul music, jazz, and the African diaspora as the foundation for her EP, Some Hidden Treasure, released in February 2020. Her voice and sound have been hailed as “flexible and virtuosic.”

With attention to decolonizing the classical voice and lending it to “music diplomacy,” Alicia believes she will offer the BSM students, and community at large, a fresh perspective on what it means to pursue voice performance and singing in today’s modern world. She has developed a unique methodology around exploratory use of the classical voice and also has experience in curriculum development. As someone who initially followed a traditional path as an operatic soprano, Alicia has developed a career that employs her classically trained instrument, but also applies it to music across a range of genres—including jazz, soul, and vernacular (world) musics.

Finally, community and purpose have always been a part of Alicia’s professional work as a musician. BSM’s principles of equitable access to music education align very much with her own core values, and she is eager to lend her experience to younger generations of singers, and peers, in her local community.