KEYNOTE SPEAKER
MUSICAL ARTIST & SPEAKER
MAY 5, 2026 I 6:30PM
DEAR FRIENDS
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the Atlanta Music Project’s 16th season. For those of you who may not know, our first program, back in 2010, was a small but mighty after-school orchestra program at the Gilbert House, a City of Atlanta Recreation Center in Southwest Atlanta. We had 30 elementary school students attending five days per week, in class for two hours each day! I remember being so inspired by their enthusiasm and natural ability. I was also grateful for their parents, who had the courage to entrust their children to a brand new organization. The teaching artists we hired were not just absolute professionals, they were fully behind our mission to empower youth to realize their possibilities through music.
Sixteen years later, those three groups - students, families, and teaching artists - remain the heart of our success. If they are the heart, our donors are our lungs. Donors breathe life into our vision that music training can lead to life-changing outcomes for youth. Without our cherished donors, AMP would simply not exist. Therefore, they have our ever-lasting gratitude. Tonight’s concert represents all the best parts of AMP coming together. The young musicians of our current youth orchestras and choirs have taken on the repertoire and coachings of our faculty with remarkable courage and artistry. I’m excited to follow their progress throughout this season. Thank you to you all for your continued involvement and support. Cheers to 16!
With Gratitude,
Dantes Rameau, Co-Founder & CEO
Atlanta Music Project INSTITUTIONAL DONORS
Funding provided in part by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Department of Community Development.
Major funding for this organization is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.
program is supported in part by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.
MEETTHESPEAKER
PAMELA DILLARD MUSICAL
ARTIST & SPEAKER
Mezzo-Soprano, Pamela Dillard, a native Atlantan, performs frequently on concert stages, recitals, oratorio, and operas in Atlanta, Augusta, and Florida. Pamela was a featured artist on the concert “Sisters in Song” performing with Atlanta’s leading female song stylists, celebrating America’s Jazz Divas. She is a Professor of Voice at Spelman College, a board member of Capitol City Opera Company of Atlanta, and a member of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. where she serves as a national board member.
Pamela debuted with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky, returning the following year to sing the title role in Bizet’s Carmen.
She has appeared on the stages of several American opera companies and orchestras including, Atlanta Opera, Opera Carolina, Opera Columbus, Tulsa Opera and Boston, Saint Louis, Colorado, New Haven, and Cobb Symphony Orchestras and The Brooklyn Philharmonic among others. Pamela performed internationally with L’Opéra-Comique of Paris, France as Lily Holmes in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess in Paris, Normandy, Luxembourg, and Spain. She has sung under the baton of many of the world’s greatest conductors, some of which are Robert Spano, Donald Runnicles, Keith Lockhart, Yoel Levi, John Williams, Wayne Marshall, and David Morrow.
Earning her B.F.A. from Newcomb College of Tulane University, Pamela was a recipient of the M.L. King Graduate Fellowship at Boston University where she received a Master of Music. Her recordings include, Watch and Pray, Spirituals and Art Songs by African American Women Composers and Grant Still’s Highway One both for Videmus. She is the featured artist on the Grammy-nominated soundtrack to Stephen Spielberg’s Amistad.
“RUSS” HJ RUSSELL III SENIOR SEND-OFF KEYNOTE SPEAKER
“Russ” HJ Russell III is an Atlanta-based real estate and mobility entrepreneur focused on transforming underutilized land into high-performing assets. As a principal of Russell Parking Management, he leads operations around the Mercedes-Benz Stadium district while also serving in an asset management and brokerage role—overseeing day-to-day operations, transactional activity, and leasing across the Russell family’s real estate holdings.
Russ began his academic journey at Riverside Military Academy and went on to pursue a marketing degree at Georgia State University. He is actively engaged in the industry through organizations such as the CCIM Institute, Urban Land Institute, Project REAP, and the National Parking Association.
As a speaker, Russ emphasizes the importance of leading with purpose and staying true to your passions—while intentionally building long-lasting relationships and identifying how you can add value within every opportunity you pursue. and the Jazz
SENIOR SEND-OFF PROGRAM
ATLANTA MUSIC PROJECT JUNIOR YOUTH ORCHESTRA II STRINGS
Logan Souther | Conductor
Mantras..................................................................................Richard Meyer
OPENING REMARKS
Dantes Rameau | Co-Founder & CEO
MUSICAL ARTIST & SPEAKER
Pamela Dillard, mezzo-soprano
Jack W. Wagner, Collaborative Pianist
“You’ll Never Walk Alone”.................Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II from Carousel
ALUMNI SPEAKER
Landon Wilkins - AMP Class of 2020
Kennesaw State University - Class of 2026
PERFORMANCE
Marlee Carter, violin - AMP Class of 2026
Jack W. Wagner, Collaborative Pianist
4 African Dances, Op.58...............................................Samuel Coleridge-Taylor II. Andantino molto sostenuto e dolce
SENIOR SEND-OFF PROGRAM
SENIOR SPEAKER
Amaya Paylor, alto - AMP Class of 2026
PERFORMANCE
Maya Winfrey, mezzo-soprano - AMP Class of 2026
Jack W. Wagner, Collaborative Pianist
“Misty”..........................................................Erroll Garner and Johnny Burke from The Great Divas
RECOGNITION OF THE CLASS OF 2026
Miriam Huppert | Director of College & Career Services
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
“Russ” HJ Russell III | Founder of Russell Parking Management
ATLANTA MUSIC PROJECT SENIOR CLASS OF 2026
Amaya Paylor, voice
Avery Austin, cello
Cadance Dyer, voice
Caliah Matamoros, violin
DeAngelo Hammonds, trumpet
Haille Edwards, voice
Inara Stewart, trombone
Isabella Castro, voice
Jada Hilliard, voice
Jayla Jacobs, voice
Jessica Leggins, voice
Joel Patrick, trombone
Joshua Peek, tuba
Kree Willingham, viola
Ky-Miya Russell, viola
Lailani Smith, flute
Marlee Carter, violin
Mauricio Alvarado, cello
Maya Winfrey, voice
Priya Gingrich, cello
Rachel Walker, voice
Reyna Case, violin
ATLANTA MUSIC PROJECT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Philip M. Juravel, CPA, Chair
Jennifer Dorian, Vice-Chair
Byron Gibbs, Treasurer
Racheal Woods, Secretary
Sarah Griesenauer-Barros, Ben Cherian, Anne Cross, Deva Hirsch, Valerie L. Holmes, James F. Lock III, Aaron C. Mitchell, Ceasar C. Mitchell Jr., Aisha Moody, Shawn Pacely, Elijah Brown, Dantes Rameau, John Sparrow, Mick Brons, Jaylen Mize
ATLANTA MUSIC PROJECT STAFF
Aisha Moody, Co-Founder & Chief Program Officer
Amber Taylor, Associate Director of AMP Academy
Breanna Johnson, Director of Choral Programs
Dantes Rameau, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
D’Laney Bowry, Development & Grants Manager
Durand Bailey, Senior Director of Operations
Jack W. Wagner, Director of Grants
José L. Morales, Marketing & Graphic Design Associate
Lauren Jones, Program Operations Associate
Lauren Spence, Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer
Liesl McWhorter, Youth Orchestras Program Manager
Lydia Falcon, After-School Programs Associate
Michael Crawford, Facilities Manager
Miriam Huppert, Director of College & Career Services
Monicia Banks, Van driver
Nassareen Rahman, Van Driver
Ron Pace, Finance Manager
the atlanta music project mission and history
Founded in 2010, the Atlanta Music Project (AMP) provides world-class music training and performance opportunities supporting youth growth and development. Operating in under-resourced communities, AMP’s mission is to empower youth to realize their possibilities through music.
AMP serves over 1,000 young musicians annually through band, orchestra, and choir programs, private lessons, and the annual month-long AMP Summer Series. The AMP Senior Youth Orchestras and Choirs perform and compete both nationally and internationally. Additionally, AMP houses a college and career program, supporting AMP high school students and alumni. Since 2021, AMP has awarded $545,000 in college scholarships to its alumni.
AMP music ensembles perform more than 60 concerts annually, performing in venues all across Atlanta, from community centers to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. AMP music ensembles have performed alongside international stars such as cellist Sterling Elliott, rapper Lecrae, operatic baritone Edward Parks, R&B singer Monica, The Piano Guys, the Harlem Quartet, electric violinist Lindsey Stirling, pianist Terrence Wilson, and the Imani Winds. AMP musicians can be seen performing with rapper T.I. on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series.
AMP’s young musicians have successfully auditioned for Georgia All-State ensembles, and performed with the Atlanta Opera, the Atlanta Ballet, and the Fox Theatre. AMP ensembles have concertized as far away as Los Angeles, Aspen, Mexico, Canada, and New Zealand. The AMP Senior Youth Choir was crowned winner of the Youth Choirs category at the Open Competition of the 2024 World Choirs Games.
AMP is the recipient of several prestigious awards: 2015 Local Community Service Award (Spelman College), 2016 Neighborhood Builder (Bank of America), 2016 & 2017 Top 50 Youth Arts Program (USA President’s Committee on the Arts & Humanities), 2018 MLK Jr. Community Service Award (Emory University), 2019 Luminary Award for Arts Education (ArtsATL), and 2021 Infusion Award (Lewis Prize for Music).
AMP’s current major funders include the Chestnut Family Foundation, Intuit Mailchimp, the Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation, the Harland Charitable Foundation, the Arthur M. Blank Foundation, The Rich’s Foundation, the Sartain Lanier Foundation, the Luluma Foundation, Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Fulton County Arts Council, Georgia Council for the Arts, Georgia Department of Education, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Delta Community Credit Union, the Next Generation Fund, and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.
In 2024, AMP became the recipient of five Steinway pianos and was awarded the prestigious honor of being a Steinway Select School, making AMP one of eight schools in the country with this distinction.
AMP’s partners and collaborators include the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation, Atlanta Public Schools, Clayton State University, and the Chestnut Family Foundation.
AMP’s existence is a direct result of the 2009 TED Prize, which was awarded to Dr. Jose Antonio Abreu, founder of Venezuela’s El Sistema. AMP’s co-founders were members of the Sistema Fellows Program at the New England Conservatory in Boston. AMP is a member of “El Sistema USA,” the National Alliance of El Sistema Inspired Programs.
For more information visit http://www.atlantamusicproject.org
COMING JUNE 2026
