Nkeiru
Okoye

Biography

Nkeiru Okoye, composer

Nkeiru Okoye is a Guggenheim Fellow and American Prize–winning composer and librettist whose music redefines the boundaries of contemporary classical music. Praised for its dramatic power and narrative depth, her work has been featured on major stages worldwide.

Her signature works include Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom — a cornerstone of modern American opera that inspired the standalone cycle Songs of Harriet Tubman; When the Caged Bird Sings, an expansive oratorio honoring Black resilience and spirituality; Voices Shouting Out, her 9/11-themed orchestral work taught in conservatory curricula; and We Met at the Symphony, winner of The American Prize in Vocal Chamber Music.

Her piano miniature Dusk (from African Sketches) is featured on Kaleidoscope — the 2025 Latin Grammy winner for Best Classical Album, performed by pianist Isabel Dobarro.

In 2025, Okoye was one of 25 composers worldwide commissioned for BBC Radio 3’s 25 for 25: Sounds of the Century — a landmark initiative celebrating the first 25 years of the 21st century through new works reflecting pivotal global events. Her contribution, And The People Celebrated, commemorated the election of Barack Obama and was premiered internationally.

Most recently, Okoye was appointed inaugural William Levi Dawson Composer-in-Residence with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra under Music Director Jamie Reeves, culminating in the 2026 world premiere of A Time for Jubilee — a large-scale choral-orchestral work commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March. Her music is featured in the PBS documentary W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause. Through her teaching and mentorship, Okoye’s works shape conservatory curricula and inspire the next generation of artists.

Nkeiru Okoye at the world premiere of A Time for Jubilee · Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, 2026

With Maestro Thomas Wilkins at the world premiere of Black Bottom · Detroit Symphony Orchestra · March 2020