Mezzo-Soprano Marquita Raley is a native of Washington, DC. She has toured the US, Caribbean, Germany, Austria and Italy. In 2004, she was a performer in the New York Philharmonic's production of Leonard Bernstein's Candide starring Sir Thomas Allen and Paul Groves. In 2005, Marquita was invited by the Bermudian Government to perform on their annual concert series honoring young singers in the arts. Other performances include recitals at Alice Tully Hall in New York City, the U.S Department of State in Washington, D.C, and in 2006 a Benefit Concert at the Dundas Centre in support of a Safe House for Women in Nassau Beach, Bahamas. In February 2007, Marquita gave her Carnegie Hall debut recital sponsored by theNational Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, INC and in November 2007, she was a finalist in The Marian Anderson Vocal Competition in Philadelphia, PA.
Ms. Raley has performed for such people as former President William Jefferson Clinton, poet, Maya Angelou, Opera singers Denyce Graves, William Stone, Matthew Polenzani, Marilyn Horne and Suzanne Mentzer; coaches Craig Rutenburg, and Maestro Stephen Lord. She has also been recognized as a major figure on the rise in the world of classical music by musician and composer H. Leslie Adams, and the late William Warfield.
Ms. Raley has performed the roles of Baba the Turk in The Rakes Progress, Dorabella in Cosi Fan Tutte both at the Chautauqua Institute, Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro, 3rd Lady in Die Zauberflote, Anne in The Mother of Us All at the Juilliard School, at the Curtis Institute she performed the roles of Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Gianetta in L'elisir d'amore, Fountain voice in Ainadamar, Martha in Iolantha, Madame Flora (Baba) in The Medium, Madama Cortese in Il viaggio a Reims and was a featured performer in Wozzeck . In spring of 2007, Ms. Raley received her Bachelor's of Music from The Juilliard School, and in 2009 she received her Master’s degree The Curtis Institute of Music
