Dwight Owsley, born in Texas, owes many of his early musical influences to Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters and Leontyne Price, as well as to the excellent and loving “home training” received at the knee of his mother Mary Veche Owsley (aka Jiveass). Also, much of his inimitable “joie de vivre” springs from her firm love and tutelage. He has lived in New York City for more than twenty-five years. An enthusiastic performer since infancy, he has appeared on stage in recitals, operas, musicals, and in night clubs internationally. His musical interests have always been divided between grand opera and American jazz and folk standards. He has sung with Barbara Carroll, Bobby Short, Hank Jones, Billy Joel and Kurt Wieting. As he has for the last seventeen years, he continues to usher in each coming New Year by singing at midnight for the revelers in the Carlyle Hotel’s Bemelman’s Bar. Currently he presides over the concierge desk at the prestigious Manhattan hotel advising the rich and powerful how to allocate their opera ticket budgets. In his role as concierge he has received awards and editorial praise from GQ, Harpers and Queens, WWD, the New York Times, Where Magazine, the New York Hotel Association and many others. In 2004 Dwight was selected by American Express’ travel magazine Travesías as one of the twelve most important people to know in the world of travel. As many of you who have attended previous Opera Exposures presentations may know, he is also an exceptionally entertaining raconteur knowledgeable on many subjects: love, politics, fashion, etiquette, and especially music. Just ask him.

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