Perhaps it was inevitable that multifaceted singer Justin Austin, who starred in the New York City premiere of the operatic production “COTTON” at the 92nd Street Y, would be singing behind the likes of Mary J. Blige and Elton John before he was even 20 years old.
Austin, who attended the Choir Academy of Harlem, LaGuardia High School, and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, recently told the Amsterdam News that not only was he exposed to music early in life, he was surrounded by it in his immediate and extended family. “Both of my parents were opera singers,” he said. “They met at the Juilliard School. My uncles and aunts are opera singers and many of my parents’ friends are opera singers. Even my babysitters, when my parents had date nights, were singers, so music was always a part of my life from the very beginning.”
“COTTON” is not a full-length opera, but a song cycle. Inspired by and set against the backdrop of the photography of John Dowell, it is an immersive work dramatizing African American history and resilience. Composed by Damien Geter and originally commissioned by the organizers of Philadelphia’s Lyric Fest, it incorporates the words of poets Nikki Giovanni, Michael Weaver, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, and others, with Laura Ward on piano.
Austin also said that it was later on in life, after encountering other Black opera singers who reported feelings of isolation, when he realized how lucky he was. “I realized I was always surrounded by Black opera singers. I grew up with lots of Black opera singers, so it felt normal to me. It shielded me from the insecurities of feeling like I may not be invited to certain rooms.”
As an adult, he has been encouraged by how the opera world is evolving by telling more stories that originate with Black cast members. “More Black stories are being told, such as ‘Fire Shut Up in My Bones,’ ‘Champion,’ and ‘COTTON,’” Austin said. “They’re no longer just relying on ‘Porgy and Bess.’ The stories are not just being written but people want to produce them. People want to put them on their stages, people want to buy tickets.”
Austin also believes that adding Black artists who aim to do what are considered Black stories gives the companies the opportunity to cast them in more traditional or classic operas. “It allows the companies to kind of see you and hear you in a different light, and they want to know where else they can put you. You can tell them, ‘Hey, I sing Mozart. I sing Donizetti, I sing Rossini,’ and then they can make that happen, which is very positive.”
About “COTTON,” Austin said, “‘COTTON’ is probably one of the most beautiful and interesting projects I’ve ever been a part of. It is told through fully multi-faceted, multi-dimensional multi-media. It represents a very dark time in our country, but it also represents hope, the future, and how we are economically powerful.”
As Austin explained the origin of the production, “Dowell took a trip to the South and was really moved by the beauty of the cotton fields. He took these gorgeous photos of cotton and he ended up superimposing them onto photos of Harlem. He has photos of the cotton kind of wrapped around buildings on Wall Street. Those were the photos that really affected and struck the co-founders of Lyric Fest, who decided to commission a song cycle dedicated to these photos.”
“COTTON” sets poetry around these photos. “They asked Black poets from all different generations to write whatever they felt was appropriate—whatever came from their heart—when they looked at these photos,” Austin said. “They all were uniquely tragic, uplifting, and everything that you could imagine a piece about cotton to be about.” Ultimately, they ended up with an eight-movement cycle where each song has a different librettist.
Originally, opera legend Denyce Graves was slated to perform “COTTON” solo. It was later suggested that a male point of view was also needed, so parts for baritone were written. When Austin’s name was floated as fitting for the role, Graves and Ward, who were unfamiliar with him, went to see him perform in Lynn Nottage’s “Intimate Apparel” at Lincoln Center. “They came to my show and they became fans instantly, and they said ‘Yes, we have to have Justin,’” he recalled.
Austin is aware that many New Yorkers see opera as something foreign to them, even with some of the greatest stages being in New York City. “People can feel like they’re not intellectual enough or they’re not cultured, and that’s not the case,” he said. “If you go see a movie, and you don’t [like it], you don’t leave the theater saying, ‘I don’t like movies.’ You just didn’t like that movie. Go see a different movie. Same with opera: If you don’t like one, go see another.”
People might also think that opera is about only people who are wealthier than they are—but “the most popular opera, ‘La Boheme,’ is about people who can’t pay their rent,” Austin said. “No, it’s not fancy at all. It’s real. If you allow people the opportunity to understand that, people will realize this is accessible. ‘This is something that I can be interested in. This is for me.’”For more info, visit www.instagram.com/justinmichaelaustin.