Kenneth Kellogg

Kenneth Kellogg’s recent career highlights include his debut at San Francisco Opera as Basilio (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) and Dr Bartolo (Le Nozze di Figaro) at Maryland Lyric Opera following his role debut there as Grand Inquisitor/Philip II (c) (Don Carlo). He appeared as Commendatore (Don Giovanni) at Seattle Opera and returned for the role of The Father (Blue), and brought the roles of Rocco (Fidelio) at North Carolina Opera, Raimondo (Lucia di Lammermoor) at Madison Opera into his repertoire. He travelled to Kraków, Poland for highly lauded performances of Rossini’s Sigismondo in the two roles of Ulderico and Zenovito with Capella Cracoviensis. Mr. Kellogg created the role of The Father (Blue), written by Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson, for Glimmerglass Festival’s world premiere, which brought him great acclaim. He recently appeared in the role at Detroit Opera and at Pittsburgh Opera and appeared on the recording made by Washington National Opera; he soon travels to Amsterdam in The Netherlands for the European premiere of Blue. Born and raised in Washington, D.C, Mr. Kellogg began his formal musical training at the Duke Ellington School of the Performing and Visual Arts. He continued his studies at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, and he is an Alumnus of the Adler Fellowship at San Francisco Opera and the Domingo-Cafritz Emerging Artist Program at Washington National Opera. Future engagements include the roles of Ramfis and Il Re (Aida), and Sparafucile (Rigoletto).

Aundi Marie Moore

American soprano Aundi Marie Moore was recently announced as the 2023 Honoree of the Sphinx Award for Excellence, an acknowledgement of her artistic achievements, her work ethic, and her spirit of determination. She quickly established herself as an exceptional talent with her recent appearance as Strawberry Woman in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Porgy and Bess last season.  Previous career highlights on the opera stage include Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) at L'Opéra de Monte Carlo for her international operatic debut, Nedda (I Pagliacci) at Sarasota Opera, Mimi (La Bohème) in Italy at the Amalfi Coast Festival, Serena (Porgy and Bess) at Atlanta Opera and at Virginia Opera, and the role of Odessa Clay in the world premiere of D. J. Sparr’s Approaching Ali commissioned by Washington National Opera. A member of the Domingo-Cafritz Washington National Opera Young Artist Program, Ms. Moore appeared at WNO as Nella (Gianni Schicchi), Fiordiligi (Cosi fan tutte), Mother (Hansel und Gretel), Wanda (c) (Sophie’s Choice), Fifth Maid (Elektra) under the baton of Heinz Fricke, and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) under the baton of Placido Domingo. She participated in the Salzburg Music Festival Young Artist Program in 2008 and covered the roles of Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) and the title role Rusalka and appeared as featured soloist in their Gala concert conducted by Ivor Bolton. Future engagements include the role of Mother (Blue) at Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with Grand Rapids Symphony, and she sings a new work with The Washington Chorus at Wolf Trap Choral Festival.

Darius Gillard

Tenor Darius Gillard is steadily gaining momentum on regional operatic circuits. Praised for his warm legato and thoughtful interpretation, he excels in the lyric repertoire. To date, Mr. Gillard has appeared in principal, supporting, and comprimario roles with companies that include the Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Carolina, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Arbor Opera Theatre, Capitol Opera Raleigh, and Hartford Opera Theatre. An avid interpreter of contemporary opera, he has performed and created roles in new works that include Double Duty Ratcliffe in Daniel Sonenberg’s The Summer King (Michigan Opera Theatre), John Lewis in Douglas Tappin’s I Dream (Opera Carolina/Charlottesville Opera), and Alex in David Wolfson’s trilogy of Zoom Operas (Hartford Opera Theatre). Mr. Gillard has also made appearances with the Florence Civic Orchestra, Charleston Chamber Orchestra, Flint Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Festival Camerata as a featured soloist in various oratorio works that include Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore, Händel’s Messiah, Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël, and Mozart’s Requiem in D minor. Equally at home on the concert stage, he looks forward to exploring and performing repertoire on the topics of love and justice in recitals scheduled to be given at various academic institutions this season.

Gordon Hawkins

A dramatic baritone with an international reputation as a “Rigoletto specialist,” Mr. Hawkins has delighted audiences as the tragic Verdi underdog in more than 200 performances, most recently with the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Vancouver Opera, Washington National Opera, Arizona Opera, and Opera Colorado. He is now earning critical acclaim as a Wagner specialist: “Alberich was superbly realized by baritone Gordon Hawkins, in his [Los Angeles Opera] début. Despite wearing a grotesque puppet head and clunky boots that hobbled his movements, Hawkins delivered a sterling vocal characterization of the power-mad Nibelung.” (Opera News). He has been engaged as Alberich in Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen at esteemed international companies including: San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, Washington National Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro de la Maestranza de Sevilla, and the BBC Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall in London. Most recently, Mr. Hawkins performed the role of the Reverend in the World Première of Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s Blue at the Glimmerglass Festival, The Warden (Dead Man Walking) with Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the title role of Porgy and Bess with Harrisburg Symphony. Mr. Hawkins’ upcoming engagements include Champion at Boston Lyric Opera, the role of Reverend (Blue) at Toledo Opera and Washington National Opera, Scarpia (Tosca) at Portland Opera, and a World Premiere for the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2023. In recent seasons, Mr. Hawkins performed the role of Amonasro (Aïda) with Washington National Opera and Seattle Opera, and Scarpia (Tosca) with Arizona Opera. Mr. Hawkins’ career is shaped by performances of opera’s most popular baritone roles at leading companies throughout the world.

Sashekia Brown

Jamaican soprano Sashekia Brown is a dynamic artist who regularly performs throughout the Caribbean and North America. She was a scholarship recipient of the 2021 Premiere Opera Vocal Arts Institute young artist program and placed first place in the 2021 National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS): Cal-Western Regional competition in both the Advanced Classical Treble Voice; 4th/5th Year College & Graduate Age and the American Negro Spiritual categories and went on to be a finalist at the National Level NATS. Ms Brown has also won the 2022 University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) Concerto Competition and performed Milhaud’s Quatre Chansons de Ronsard with the UNR Symphony Orchestra at their annual Honors Concert. Most recently she was a semifinalist in the 2022 Classical Singer Competition. This season, Ms. Brown makes her company debut with Toledo Opera as Girlfriend1/Nurse/Congregant1 in Jeanine Tesori’s opera Blue and debuts with Indiana University Opera as Sandmännchen in their fall production of Hänsel and Gretel. Ms. Brown recently completed a Master of Music in vocal performance and will continue her training at the Jacobs School of Music with Carol Vaness. Other major teachers include Dr. Albert Lee, Dr Daniel Fung and Jamaican pedagogues Dr. Keastner Robertson and Dr. Carline Waugh. Sashekia Brown is the grateful recipient of career grants from the Government of Jamaica through the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (C.H.A.S.E) Fund.

Kayla Hill Oderah

Soprano Kayla Oderah is an emerging young artist and graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. She made her professional debut this year performing the role of Despina (Così fan Tutte) with Finger Lakes Opera as a Tomita Young Artist.. She will join the young artist program at Opera Ithaca this fall performing roles in Proing Up, Nabucco, and Highway #1, USA. While completing her master’s at Michigan, Ms Oderah performed the role Tytania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). She also performed in masterclasses led by soprano Reri Grist as well as Met Assistant General manager, Michael Heaston. In 2016, she attended the Aspen Music Festival as a studio artist. Ms. Oderah is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she received her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance with a minor in artistic entrepreneurship. At UNC, she studied with Dr. Louise Toppin and was the recipient of the prestigious four-year Kenan Music Scholarship. As an undergrad, she performed opera roles including, Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus), Servilia (La Clemenza di Tito), and Mary (Highway #1 USA). Ms. Oderah has performed internationally at the University of Cape Town where she sang the role of Constance (Dialogues of the Carmelites). She’s performed in opera at the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Italy along with the Berlin Opera Academy in Germany.  

Kaswanna Kanyinda

Mezzo-soprano, Kaswanna Kanyinda, has been praised for her dramatic presence, vocal warmth, and as a “talent to keep a sharp lookout for.” She recently played the role of Mary in the world premiere of Omar, an opera by Rhiannon Giddens and Micheal Abels, with the Spoleto Festival this summer.  In the height of the pandemic lockdown, she played the role of Flosshilde in Michigan Opera Theatre’s Twilight: Gods. In 2019, Ms. Kanyinda won a Wilde Award for her performance as the Mother in Opera MODO’s production of The Consul. Prior to that, she joined Pittsburgh Festival Opera as a member of their 2018 Mastersingers Program, won the Opera Guild of Charlotte competition in 2017, and earned her masters’ degree in 2016 from the University of Michigan, under the tutelage of George Shirley. There she was featured in the workshop premiere of Bright Sheng’s The Dream of the Red Chamber, and was honored to represent Michigan in performance at the Kennedy Center. During her undergraduate studies at UNC Chapel Hill, she was cast in La Clemenza di Tito, Highway #1 USA, and Gianni Schicchi, and had the opportunity to perform the national anthem for President Barack Obama. A North Carolina native, Ms. Kanyinda currently studies with Dr. Louise Toppin and will be moving to Fort Worth, TX for her residency with Fort Worth Opera in September.

Tyrese Byrd

Tyrese Byrd, tenor, is a native of Greenville, South Carolina known for his musicianship and expressive tone. His 2021-2022 season brought several company debuts including Michigan Opera Theatre singing the role of Don Basilio in Ragnar Kjartansson’s Bliss. He served as a studio artist at Madison Opera where he performed Normanno and covered Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor). Mr. Byrd also covered Georg (She Loves Me) and sang Mercury (Orpheus in the Underworld). With Chicago-based organization Hearing in Color, he sang the role of Jesse in the world premiere performance of Undying Love, a one-act opera by Steve Wallace premiered with D-Composed, an all-Black ensemble. Mr. Byrd also made his debut with the Toledo Symphony in December as the tenor soloist in Messiah. While managing this busy season, he is also a graduate student at the University of Michigan, studying with Dr. Louise Toppin. There he has performed Miles in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up and Herr Vogelsang in Der Schauspieldirektor, and he was a featured soloist in Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard and Bach Cantatas 131 and 61. Mr. Byrd is also passionate about uplifting the music of Black composers who are often excluded from the Western canon. He is currently working with a research team called Singing Justice through the University of Michigan Humanities Collaboratory, who endeavor to infiltrate higher education and the concert stage using Black Song. Upcoming performances in the 2022-2023 season include a return to Madison Opera as Don Basilio (Le Nozze di Figaro), concerts with the South Carolina Bach Society, and a series of seminar-recitals with Singing Justice. For more information, tyresebyrdtenor.com.

Ernest Jackson

Ernest Jackson, tenor and native Philadelphian, made his mainstage debut as Mingo in The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess with OperaDelaware. A regular with ConcertOPERA, Philadelphia saw him as Dancairo (Carmen), Lorenzo (Fra Diavolo), and the Sailor (Dido and Aeneas). He later performed with Akron Symphony Orchestra in The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, about which the Akron Beacon Journal gave “special mention to Ernest Jackson (Jim) with his beautiful tenor solo lines.” Mr. Jackson was invited back to OperaDelaware to perform the role of Villager 1 (I Pagliacci). He essayed the role of German Sentry in Silent Night by Kevin Putts with Cincinnati Opera that same year. Mr. Jackson is equally at home with contemporary and traditional opera, having performed with the American Opera Projects in the role of William Grant Still in Okoye’s Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom. As a cover in the 2014 season with Lyric Opera of Chicago, he went on for the role of Nelson (The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess). In 2017, he sang the role of Dr. Caius with Bronx Opera in Vaughn Williams’ Sir John in Love and also performed Tenor Slave/Tenor Soloist in The Difficulty in Crossing A Field/The Little Match Girl Passion by David Lang with Portland Opera.  He made his debut at Seattle Opera as Nelson (The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess) and Malcolm (Macbeth) with Empire Opera in 2018. In 2019 season, he reprised the role of Mingo with both Fort Worth Opera and Cincinnati Opera which led to his debut with Atlanta Opera as Nelson that following year. Recently, Jackson made his Pittsburgh Opera debut as Policeman 2/ Congregant 2. He will reprise the role of Mingo with North Carolina Opera and Opera Carolina in the 2023 season.

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Clayton Mathews

American Baritone Clayton Mathews, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, has been praised for his rich colorful tone and profound character interpretations. “The great revelation of opening night was Clayton Mathews, who with his powerful baritone voice and acting qualities he took over as the title role,” wrote Daniel Fernandez of Mr. Mathew’s Don Giovanni in the El Nuevo Herald. He has performed professionally in opera companies across the United States and Europe. Mr. Mathews' most distinguished roles include Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni) Tarquinius (The Rape of Lucretia) Frederic (Lakmé) Voltaire/Pangloss (Candide), Escamillo (Carmen), Amonasro (Aida), and Don Alfonso/Gugliermo (Cosi Fan Tutte) Count Ceprano (Rigoletto), Crown and the Undertaker (Porgy and Bess). His musical theatre roles include Javert (Les Misérables) and Agwe (Once on this Island). He premiered the role of The Maker in Fredric Chaslin's opera Clarimonde for On Site Opera/Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice. Mr. Mathews brought to life "Mike" in George Gershwin's opera Blue Monday at the legendary Cotton Club for On site Opera/Harlem Opera Theatre. He has also performed in many concert galas with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, ConcertOPERA Philadelphia, Miami Music Festival, Newtown Chamber Orchestra Manchester Music Festival, and the Martina Arroyo Foundation.

Chelsea Tipton II

American conductor Chelsea Tipton II has won over audiences and critics with his vibrant musicality, versatility, accessibility, and commitment to art education. He served as Resident Conductor of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra for seven exceptionally successful seasons and was Associate Conductor of the Savannah Symphony Orchestra for four seasons. He is currently in his fourteenth season as Music Director of the Symphony of Southeast Texas and eighth season as Principal Pops Conductor with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. As a sought-after guest conductor, Mo. Tipton has appeared with numerous major orchestras, including, among others, the Cleveland Orchestra; American Composers Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana (Palermo), Dohnanyi Symphony Orchestra (Budapest), Atlanta Symphony, and the Indianapolis Symphony to name a few. This season, when not on stage at the Julie Rogers Theater in Beaumont, Mo. Tipton can be found guest conducting the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra, Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra, Lake Charles Symphony, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, and the Indiana University Concert Orchestra. One venue spotlighted the maestro's versatility during the summer of 2011 when he was chosen to accompany Sting on an extensive European tour covering fifteen countries. Mo. Tipton prepared and rehearsed the musicians of nineteen different orchestras. He performed in concert with Sting in the Canary Islands, Granada, and Cap Roig, Spain. In November 2021, Sting and Mo. Tipton reunited for a special show with his hometown orchestra, the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra. In April of 2022, Mo. Tipton was invited to perform at the world-famous Apollo Theater in New York City with the American Composers Orchestra, presenting new music by African American composers and various featured guest artists.

Tazewell Thompson

Tazewell Thompson is an internationally acclaimed director for opera and theater, an award-winning playwright, librettist, teacher, and actor. His opera, Blue, with composer Jeanine Tesori, won the 2020 MCANA Award for Best New Opera in North America. The New York Times and The Washington Post listed Blue as Best in Classical Music for 2019. He has directing credits in major opera houses and theaters across the USA, France, Spain, Italy, Africa, Japan, and Canada. His award-winning play, Constant Star, has had 16 national productions, garnering 9 Barrymore Awards, 5 NAACP Awards and 3 Carbonell Awards; Mary T & Lizzy K, commissioned and produced at Arena Stage, is the recipient of The Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award; he authored Jam & Spice: The Music of Kurt Weill, an adaptation of A Christmas Carol and he was a contributing writer to Our War, short plays for Washington, DC. His a cappella musical, Jubilee: Fisk Jubilee Singers, had its world premiere in the spring of 2019 and played to SRO audiences at Arena Stage, and will open in 2023 at Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Virginia Rep. His production of Porgy and Bess, broadcast Live from Lincoln Center, received EMMY Award nominations for Best Director and Best Production: Classical Music. He holds the record for directing three productions, all in the same season, in three different theaters at The Kennedy Center: Appomattox (Glass), Lost in the Stars (Weill), and his American premiere production, Cato in Utica (Vivaldi). Aaron Copland chose him to rewrite the libretto and direct the premiere staging of his opera The Second Hurricane as part of a New York State-wide celebration of his 85th birthday. He has commissions from The New York Philharmonic and Chicago Opera Theater. 

Jeanine Tesori

Jeanine Tesori is a composer of musical theater, opera, television, and film. Along with Missy Mazzoli, she is one of the first women to be commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera. She won the Tony Award for Best Score (with bookwriter & lyricist, Lisa Kron) for the musical Fun Home. Her other musicals include Caroline, or Change (with Tony Kushner), Shrek the Musical (with David Lindsay-Abaire), Thoroughly Modern Millie (with Dick Scanlan), Violet (with Brian Crawley), and Soft Power (with David Henry Hwang) which was her second work after Fun Home to be a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Her operas include A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck (Tony Kushner, libretto), The Lion, The Unicorn and Me (J.D. McClatchy, libretto), and Blue (Tazewell Thompson, libretto) which received the MCANA Award for Best New Opera. Her latest opera Grounded (George Brant, libretto) will premiere at the Met in 2024. In addition to her work as a composer, Ms. Tesori is the Founding Artistic Director of New York City Center’s Encores! Off-Center series, Supervising Vocal Producer of Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, and lecturer in music at Yale University. Her latest musical Kimberly Akimbo will open on Broadway Fall 2022.

Robert Wierzel

As a lighting designer, Robert Wierzel has worked with artists from diverse disciplines and backgrounds in theatre, dance, opera and contemporary music, with companies throughout the country and abroad. His theatre work has been seen on and off Broadway, including Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill, starring Audra McDonald; the musical Fela! (Tony Award nomination); Dreams and Nightmares; and productions at the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater; Roundabout Theatre Company; Signature Theatre Company; Playwrights Horizons; Mostly Mozart Festival; BAM; The Acting Company; and the Lincoln Center Festival/American Songbook Series. He has worked with the opera companies in Paris-Garnier; Versailles-Château de Versailles Spectacles; Tokyo; Toronto; Bergen & Kristiansand Norway; Folk Opera, Sweden; Dutch National Opera; Wexford Festival Opera; New York City Opera; Glimmerglass Festival; Atlanta; Seattle; Boston Lyric; Minnesota; Philadelphia; San Francisco; Houston; Washington National; Chicago Lyric; Chicago Opera Theatre; Montreal; Vancouver; Florida Grand; Portland; Colorado; Wolf Trap; San Diego; Virginia and Gotham Chamber Opera. Mr. Wierzel has also collaborated on productions at the Royal National Theatre of London; Savoy Theatre, London; Lyon Opera Ballet; Berlin Opera Ballet; Musée du Louvre and the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto. He has collaborated for decades with choreographer and director Bill T. Jones and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. Other collaborations include works with Heidi Latsky; Sean Curran; Larry Goldhuber; Arthur Aviles; Preeti Vasudevan; Liz Gerring; Doug Varone; Molissa Fenely; Donna Uchizono; Alonzo King; Charlie Moulton; Margo Sappington; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and the Trisha Brown Dance Company. His extensive regional theatre work includes productions at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre Company; A.C.T. San Francisco; Berkley Rep; Williamstown Theatre Festival; Calgary Theatre Company; The Grand Theatre & Vancouver Playhouse, Canada; Goodman Theatre; The Guthrie; Center Stage-Baltimore; Arena Stage; Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Shakespeare Theatre DC; Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Hartford Stage, Long Wharf Theatre; Westport Country Playhouse; Mark Taper Forum; Geva Theatre; Actors Theatre/Louisville; Old Globe/San Diego; Yale Rep; Alley Theatre/Houston; Dallas Theatre Center and the George Street Playhouse among others. Future projects include a new musical - A Walk On The Moon. Mr. Wierzel is on the faculty of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and is a Creative Partner at Spark Design Collaborative.

Rasean Davonté Johnson

Rasean Davonté Johnson is a video artist and designer of projections for theatre, film, and installations. He is owner of the Chicago based practice eightinfinitystudio specializing in design, video engineering consultation, and content creation for the performing arts. For his work as a theatrical designer, he has been awarded the Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award in 2018 and the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Projection Design in 2019. Additionally, he was a part of the 2017 Opera America Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Showcase in Houston. Design work includes collaborations with numerous institutions including New York Philharmonic, Portland Opera, Yale Opera, The Opera Theatre of Yale College, Chicago Folks Operetta, Chicago Opera Theatre, Manual Cinema, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Seattle Rep, ArtsEmerson, McCarter Theatre Center, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and internationally with The Ningbo Song and Dance Company (China), BFloor Theatre (Thailand), and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Scotland). In addition to design for theatre, he has also worked on several installations including personal works such as We Are All In This Together: Shutdown, Crisis, Restart as a part of WonderWall at Bay Street Theatre, Living Sculpture as part of LUX: Ideas through Light at the Beinecke Rare Books Library, and Juniper Ascending at Yale University, and collaborative works including The Ballad of Lula Del Ray 2.0 with Manual Cinema at the Logan Arts Center, Convergence: A mad tea pARTy at the Yale Art Gallery, and Passenger featured at the University of Chicago and the Bridgeport Film Festival. He received his MFA from Yale University, and has lectured at Yale University, Columbia College Chicago, Syracuse University, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon, Depaul University, and the Ohio State University. raseandavontejohnson.com

Alina Dunbar

Alina Dunbar was born and reared in Toledo, Ohio. A graduate of Thomas A. DeVilbiss High School and The University of Toledo, Ms. Dunbar has been in the beauty industry for thirty years and was able to sample the industry in Detroit, Columbus, Chicago and Atlanta. Training under leading department stores, she gained recognition and was awarded Master Artisan level status in haircutting. Ms. Dunbar has styled fashion shows, weddings, hair seminars, platform artist work, and sub-teaching at Cosmetology Schools in the area. She has hosted many events throughout the beauty/cosmetology industry for decades and has been the owner and operator of several salons in the Toledo area. She opened her 1st salon, Alina & Company back in 1991 and is currently the owner/operator of Salon Onyx, The Lofts at Salon Onyx, and The Archery, a cosmetic makeup & brow suite facility. Ms. Dunbar’s goal is to make each individual feel and display their inner beauty. Beyond furnishing the world with more beautiful people and energy, she has devoted time in helping feed and groom the less fortunate giving complete makeovers, haircuts and garments to dress for success in the event of individuals going to interviews. Also, Ms. Dunbar has provided prom dresses and makeovers for young high school teens who were not in a favorable place to afford attending their prom. She takes pride in serving in the industry: being a servant is truly a calling above all else for her.