About Makeda
Delaware native Makeda Hampton is recognized for her warm and shimmering soprano voice. Dr. Hampton has studied and performed across the United States and parts of Europe, including Portugal, Spain, Germany, and Austria. Performances with the American Institute of Musical Studies, Tyrolean Opera Festival, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, New Jersey State Opera, Huntsville Youth Orchestra and Sinfonietta Nova Orchestra were all instrumental in launching her professional career. Dr. Hampton is currently entering her second season as an Extra Chorister at the Metropolitan Opera and made her solo debuts with Baltimore Concert Opera, OperaDelaware, and the Long Island Concert Orchestra in the 2019-2020 season.
Dr. Hampton has won several vocal competitions and music awards, including a Grammy Award (Best Opera Recording) for her participation in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. She won first place in the 2020 MIOpera Vocal Competition, the American Prize, Montpelier Arts Center Classical Recital Competition, and the Austrian American Society of Wilmington Music Competition. In 2016, she won the sought-after first place award in the University of Kentucky's 11th Alltech Voice Competition. A notable recognition is Dr. Hampton's 2020 induction into the National Pine Forge Academy Alumni Association's “Fine Arts Hall of Fame," an honor shared with many nationally acclaimed African American artists.
From 2010-2016, Dr. Hampton was an assistant professor of voice at Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL, and has continued teaching and mentoring young singers. Over the course of her years teaching vocal studies, Dr. Hampton recognized a need for music spaces that provide equitable access to resources, networking opportunities, and encourage freedom of cultural expression. In 2020, she founded CodaSwitch, LLC, a consulting service that partners with arts & culture professionals, occupational voice users, and students on how to improve every aspect of their vocal needs. The 2021-2022 term of CodaSwitch is dedicated to providing undergraduate voice majors from HBCUs with coachings, mentoring, and graduate school preparation.
Dr. Hampton is now an adjunct assistant professor of voice at the University of Delaware. She earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Kentucky, where her scholarship focused on early-20th century African American poetry found in Art Song literature. She earned a Master of Music in voice performance and pedagogy from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ and a Bachelor of Music in voice performance and pedagogy from Oakwood University.
