From connoisseurs of Bach, to fans of Beyonce, music lovers of all tastes and ages will enjoy this evening with 3 Mo’ Divas. Billed as "A New Concert Smashing Musical Barriers,” this exciting musical journey spans 400 years of music and eight singing styles: Opera, Broadway, Jazz, Blues, Soul, R&B, Spirituals and Gospel. All classically trained, these chanteuses will together sing the blues and belt out “knock-em-dead” solos.

• Laurice Lanier, Mezzo-Soprano
• Nova Y. Payton, Soprano
• Jamet Pittman, Soprano

Their concert follows the great success of writer/director Marion J. Caffey’s international hit, Three Mo’ Tenors, which naturally makes way for this phenomenal sister act whose revue delivers, according to The Los Angeles Times, a “soaring vocal talent.”

More information about 3 Mo' Divas can be found at www.3modivas.com

Laurice Lanier, Mezzo-Soprano — Laurice Lanier was seen on Broadway in Baz Luhrmann’s production of Puccini’s La Boheme; and performed at Carnegie Hall as a Leontyne Price Showcase Winner.  Laurice, of Jackson, Tennessee, is a graduate of the Juilliard School, where she performed lead roles in John Eccles’ Semele, Dido & Aeneas, The Tender Land, The Mother of Us All, and The Magic Flute.  Her solo performances include Handel’s Messiah with the Metropolitan Baptist Church of Washington D.C., Brahm’s Alto Rhapsody, de Falla’s El Amor Brujo with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, and 2001 Spiritual Concert Series for Brazil’s Gaby Leib Producoes Culturais in Sao Pao, Rio di Janeiro and Brasilia. 

Awards include Interlochen Arts Camp/Outstanding Musician and Hartwick College Summer Music Fest/Most Outstanding Musician; scholarships include Opera Works Intensive Study at UC Northridge and The Music Academy of the West/Santa Barbara under the direction of Marilyn Horne.  She opened the 2002 Tennessee General Assembly singing America the Beautiful; and received  a written proclamation giving accolades from the TN House of Representatives.

Other performances include a recital for Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s National Convention in Miami; Bach Christmas Oratorio with the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis; Holiday Pops Concert with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra; and Black History Opera View with Opera Memphis.  In May 2005, Laurice auditioned at NYC’s Metropolitan Opera for the Hans Gabor Belvedere International Singing Competition; known as the “stock exchange of voices.”   Among 3000 international competitors, she was chosen to represent the US, and placed 1 out of 14 in the Vienna finals, winning the Barcelona Award, a coveted spot on the Barcelona Opera stage; and requests to perform from Houston Grand Opera, New York City Opera, La Scala in Milan, and the Royal Opera House in Stockholm; whose artistic director, Menno Feenstra, commented, “When Laurice sings, she makes you forget the bad in your life.”

Nova Y. Payton, Soprano — Nova Y. Payton is thrilled to make her debut in Marion J. Caffey’s 3 Mo’ Divas. She recently received rave reviews and was nominated for a Barrymore Award as Best Leading Actress for her role as Effie White in the Prince Music Theater’s production of Dreamgirls.

Ms. Payton is a native of Washington DC, but studies classically in New York City with Donna Reid. She was last seen as BJ in a national tour of Smokey Joes Café. Nova has worked with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Ashford and Simpson, Alyson Williams, Freddie Jackson, Yolanda Adams and Karen Clark–Sheard to name a few. She is currently working with Roberta Flack as a background vocalist. Nova would like to thank God, her family, Jason & GWA for their support!"

Jamet Pittman, Soprano — Ms. Pittman is a native of Washington, D.C. Piano lessons began at 4, and by age 7 she was playing for her school choruses and church choirs. She won several awards from the Peabody Conservatory competitions for young classical pianists. Eventually, she became Minister of Music at Israel Baptist Church. She also has directed many choirs, and played organ and piano for several area churches, including Metropolitan Baptist and Zion Methodist.

Her voice training began at age 17. That same year she won 4th place at the I.C.U.A. national competition held at the Crystal Cathedral in Anaheim, CA. She also began studying violin at age 7, and was a member of the DC Youth Orchestra for 10 years under the baton of Lynn McLain, and also the Kindler Quartet, a group of exceptional string students. With the group, she toured Puerto Rico, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Ms. Pittman majored in Piano Performance at Oberlin Conservatory, but changed majors after she saw her first opera there. She later received a Masters of Music degree (Opera Concentration) from the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at the Catholic University of America.

At the tender age of 23, she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions for the Washington area (Northeast Region). One of the judges, Patricia Misslin, took notice and invited her to study with her at the Manhattan School of Music. She performed in several recitals, concerts and operatic performances, including the American premiere of the Czech opera, The Two Widows. For this performance, the New York Times named her "one of tomorrow's divas". In 1998, I made my Carnegie Hall debut with a performance of Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner, with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. She has sung with the NY Choral Artists at Avery Fisher Hall with the NY Philharmonic under the baton of such maestri as Loren Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, et al.

She was asked to sing the role of Bess in the Porgy and Bess Suite with the Washington Army Band and Chorus at the Gershwin Centennial Birthday Celebration with the world's leading Porgy, Alvy Powell. Later, she would be part of the first American broadcast of Porgy and Bess in a Live from Lincoln Center telecast with New York City Opera.

Ms. Pittman has sung with the Baltimore/Washington Repertory Opera, the Opera Company of Brooklyn, and was a Studio Artist with the Sarasota Opera Company. Here the conductor, Victor DiRenzi, heard of her work with school outreach programs and she became one of the "founding faculty" at their new Summer Opera Camp, geared to children ages 7-17. She teaches voice and repertoire to the students, and co-conducts their finals concerts.

She sings with Just Friends (directed by Nedra Olds-Neal), a sextet of African-American singers that sing classical, spiritual, blues and contemporary styles; also, Tribe Of Levi (directed by Roger Holland), a gospel and sacred music group. Both happened to be selected to perform/teach at the NY Historical Society’s Slavery in New York exhibit. She has recorded with the Choir of St. Ignatius (directed by Kent Tritle), Melodious Accord (directed byAlice Parker), Rejoicensemble (directed by Carl Maultsby), and as a soloist as part of the new project, Sacred Arias: Great Operatic Arias, with Lyrics for Worship (directed by Giles/Sanders), to be released in March of 2006. She most recently appeared in Baz Luhrmann's production of La Boheme on Broadway . Ms. Pittman has performed in several musical theater productions, including Carousel and Master Class. Ms. Pittman was in the original cast of Marion J. Caffey’s 3 Mo’ Divas.