Musical Roots

Karmesha discovered her affinity for music at the age of five singing in the youth choir at Taylortown African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Louisville, Kentucky. 

During the early years of her musical journey, Karmesha secured an invitation to participate in the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA) among only 200 students in the entire state. GSA exposed her to talented young artists and the opportunity to study under accomplished, notable vocal teachers. It was there, a recital performance by African American Soprano Angela M. Brown, inspired Karmesha to devote her life to music.    

Karmesha trained at the University of Kentucky performing as Mrs. Quickly in Verdi’s Falstaff, Mrs. Harrow in The Power of Xingu, and the Strawberry Woman in George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.  

She continues to engage with GSA students in conversation about the trials, triumphs, and possibilities of pursuing a musical career.

Recent Appearances

A formidable artist in the thriving music community, Karmesha resides in NYC. She sings in the renowned Metropolitan Opera Supplementary Chorus where she has performed in the Grammy Award winning casts of Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Champion, written by composer Terence Blanchard. Additional roles with NYC based company Hudson River Opera have included Azucena in Il Trovatore, Beppe in L’Amico Fritz, Erda in Siegfried, and more.

Karmesha recurs as a featured soloist for Grace Chorale of Brooklyn, where she presented in Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Marianna Martines' Dixit Dominus. She featured as a soloist in CUNY Grad Center’s Music in Midtown concert series and Classics with a Twist at the inaugural Context Conference, hosted at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.

Honing Her Craft

A graduate of the University of Kentucky receiving both a Summa Cum Laude Bachelor of Music Performance and Master of Music Performance, Karmesha remains a lifelong student of the art form yielding opportunities to learn from and workshop with the industry’s renowned and revered talents. Among her teachers and coaches are Michael Chioldi, the late Wilhelmenia Fernandez, and incomparable pianist, Cliff Jackson. She has participated in masterclasses conducted by Chuck Hudson, Ryan Taylor, Priscilla Baskerville, Cynthia Lawrence, and Morris Robinson. Karmesha has performed under the direction of John Doyle and Francesca Zambello.

The Horizon

At the core of Karmesha’s portfolio of music, her passion has been dedicated to giving voice to the premiere works of African American composer such as Damien Geter’s, An African American Requiem, premiering to rave reviews with the Oregon Symphony and the Kennedy Center.

In addition, Karmesha maintains a concert and recital schedule that has taken her to Holland, France, Copenhagen, Austria, Luxembourg, Italy, Israel, and Switzerland.

From the sacred spaces of the African American religious experience to palatial opera houses around the world, Karmesha Peake is the Dramatic Mezzo Soprano with a ‘rich, velvet voice of euphony, charisma, and spiritual invitation’. 

Karmesha serves as an Arch Angel Productions Board Member.