MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

PAULA DIONE INGRAM BIOGRAPHY & PRESS QUOTES Paula Dione Ingram has been described as one of the finest singing actresses of our time. Noted for her considerable versatility, she is a winning performer whether on stage in her trained field of opera/musical theatre/cabaret, in front of cameras for commercials, film and television and while coaching young artists via her collegiate master class tour. She has sung extensively in Europe, particularly in Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium and England. Having lived and worked in New York City for a brief time, she is now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada (she continues her travels to NYC for auditions and performances) pursuing her passion for performance, coaching, writing and composing. Presently, she is collaborating on a new project documenting her life and career as a, classically trained singer, on a non traditional path. Education: A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Paula Dione Ingram earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance in Voice/Opera Performance. And her Master of Music degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Voice/Opera Performance, where she studied with renowned operatic soprano Madame Virginia Zeani. She continues to study/coach in NYC and on the west coast. Opera/Musical Theatre/TV/VO: Miss Ingram made her London “West-End” debut in the title role of Oscar Hammerstein’s CARMEN JONES to rave reviews. Her professional experience includes performances with Glyndebourne Festival Opera in Gershwin’s PORGY & BESS. She joined the Glyndebourne cast in London, England to record the opera on the EMI/Classical label with the London Philharmonic, Simon Rattle conducting. The album was nominated for a GRAMMY in the “Best Classical Album of the Year” category. Under the world-renowned director Trevor Nunn, the opera was made into a television movie and was shown on A&E/PBS internationally. Additional television credits are highlighted by her role as “Mrs. Garcia” in Disney’s “A Mom For Christmas” starring Olivia Newton John. Her voice over credits extend from state lottery to pharmaceutical and corporate training films and commercials. Concert/Symphony Orchestra: Her symphony orchestra credits are highlighted by performances with world renowned symphony orchestras such as: Birmingham, England Symphony Orchestra, La Fenice Opera Venice, Italy; and her orchestral appearances in the United States have included debuts with the prestigious Indianapolis, Muncie, Detroit, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras. Cabaret: Miss Ingram made her New York City Cabaret debut at the famed Feinstein’s/54 Below with her show “Dark Legacy: Bright Lights of Black Broadway” (Alex Rybeck, Musical Director, Barry Kleinbort, Director) which showcases Black American composers, lyricists and performers of early black Broadway. Composers like Scott Joplin, Bert Williams, Noble Sissle, Eubie Blake, and others who laid a formidable foundation in American music history. Their songs such as “Nobody”, “I’m Just Wild About Harry” and “Some of These Days” (to name a few) have become an immortal part of the Great American Songbook. Their rich and many times, dark legacy, influenced both black and non-black composers and lyricists who followed in their footsteps, writing for the black experience, for stage and film up until the present day. October of 2018 Miss Ingram was honored to make her New York City, Jazz At Lincoln Center debut during the Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention. In 2020 “Dark Legacy” was nominated for the “NYC Cabaret Best Debut One Night Only”award  by BroadwayWorld.com. Solo Recording: Paula Dione Ingram’s solo vocal CD debut “Art. Legacy. Celebration – A Salute to African-American Composers of Art Songs and Spirituals Vol. 1” is available on Amazon. Volume 2 will be released in 2021. PRESS QUOTES CARMEN JONES “Paula Ingram gives the sexiest, best sung performance on the West End stage. Not to be missed – at any price.” The London Daily Express “At the matinee, I caught Paula Ingram, a stunning young American with a fine voice and fiery temperament.” New York Magazine PORGY & BESS “Paula Ingram’s doomed Clara manages to be touching.” The New York Times (A&E/PBS) DARK LEGACY: BRIGHT LIGHTS OF BLACK BROADWAY Cabaret “Passionate and deliberate, Paula Ingram treats each song with respect.” “She is a natural and infectious performer, inviting and charming, with a full bright operatic style.” “Dark Legacy is the perfect embodiment of the sentiment that music transcends cultures and bridges gaps, with Ingram as its beacon.” BroadwayWorld.com New York HOLIDAY SING & BLING – Cabaret “A seasoned singer and actress, Ingram’s rich lyric spinto soprano commands opera and musical theatre stages and with her innately warm geniality and truthful musical interpretation, captured a cabaret audience.” Cabaret Scenes Magazine, New York www.pauladioneingram.com [email protected]