Founder • Griot

Patrick Dailey, countertenor, has been described as possessing “a powerful and elegant countertenor voice” (Los Angeles Daily News) and performs regularly with Harlem Opera Theater, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Soulful Symphony, Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Bass Vocalist | Pianist

Gary Mitchell, bass vocalist and pianist, has performed in Denmark, Japan, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. He has been featured as a collaborative pianist, vocalist, conductor, and music director at Carnegie Hall, The Apollo Theatre, Lincoln Center, New Federal Theater, The Harlem Opera Festival, The United Nations, Teatro alla Scala, Dance Theater of Harlem, and 54 Below.

2026 Burleigh Spirituals Festival Scholar, Dr. Jean E. Snyder, is the foremost scholar on the life and works of Mr. Harry T. Burleigh of Erie, PA and New York City. She has given lectures at Carnegie Hall, Oxford University, and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. She has appeared on PBS, NPR, and the BBC. Her biography,"Harry T. Burleigh: From the Spiritual to the Harlem Renaissance,"[University of Illinois Press] is considered groundbreaking and represents over 30 years of research.

Gala Artist 2026

Louise Toppin has received critical acclaim for her operatic, orchestral, and oratorio performances in the United States, Europe, Czech Republic, Sweden, Uruguay, Scotland, China, England, New Zealand, the Caribbean, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Bermuda, Japan, and Spain. Toppin has appeared in recital on many concert series including Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Center.

Brian Hannah is a long-time supporter of the legacy of Mr. Harry T. Burleigh and the Burleigh Legacy Alliance. As host of Classics with Brian Hannah on WQLN, he is no stranger to Erie’s musical community. He has performed with the Erie Philharmonic, Erie Chamber Orchestra, Dave Stevens Big Band, the Chautauqua Symphony, the Erie Playhouse, and the Lake Erie Ballet Orchestra. His contributions to Erie and its music are remarkable.