Fulbright scholar Dr. Derrell Acon is a dynamic performer/teacher/activist who has appeared in venues across the nation, Africa, and Europe. As an award-winning bass-baritone, Derrell Acon understands the level of passion and understanding that music can instill.
He is a uniquely accomplished performer whose repertoire ranges from the comic to the tragic and even the sensual. Mr. Acon has proven himself a persuasive advocate for American opera of the 20th and 21st centuries. His accomplishments in music have established Mr. Acon as a leader among the discussions that surround music across the world.
Dr. Acon is a 2013-2014 Fulbright scholar to Italy, where he researched the operas of Giuseppe Verdi and lectured on the Black American experience. He is also an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grantee for his work in Verdian scholarship and performance and a frequent presenter throughout the U.S. at such venues as conferences for the National Association for Ethnic Studies and National Association of Negro Musicians, and internationally at venues in Europe and Africa. He has also been seen as an opera lecturer at The Chautauqua Institution, Portland Opera, Long Beach Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, and Des Moines Metro Opera.
Dr. Acon’s most recent scholarship on Blacktivism and the power of performative education continues to be presented throughout the country. Drawing from literature, advocacy, story, and song to engage and energize audiences, Dr. Acon uses the power and immediacy of performance to educate and empower audiences.
An award-winning bass-baritone, well-known for his appearances with The Glimmerglass Festival, the LA Master Chorale and for his groundbreaking work as an activist on the subject matter of race and equity, Dr. Acon has reached the minds of audiences around the world and in his local community.
