Artistic Leadership

Courtney Carey is an American baritone, conductor, composer, and arts administrator whose work explores the intersection of classical tradition and contemporary storytelling. As Founder and Artistic Director of Courtney's Stars of Tomorrow, he has built a career dedicated to expanding access to classical music through innovative performances, educational initiatives, and new creative works. His latest recording, A Baroque Fantasy: Dialogues with Vivaldi (Navona  Records), presents his original Stabat Mater alongside two vocal works by Antonio Vivaldi,  creating a conversation across three centuries of sacred music. 

As a performer, Carey has appeared in opera, concert, and recital throughout the United States and Europe. He made his European operatic debut as Morales in Bizet's Carmen with the Komische Kammer Oper München and has performed leading roles including Count Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), Don Alfonso and Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Mercutio (Roméo et Juliette), and  Belcore (L'elisir d'amore). He created the role of Lantello in the world premiere of Noam Sivan's Fruits of Folia and has collaborated with distinguished conductors including Joseph Colaneri,  David Effron, Joshua Greene, Matthias Kuntzsch, Jay Meetze, and Ted Taylor. His concert appearances include performances of Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem, Bach cantatas, Vaughan  Williams' Mass in G Minor and Fantasia On Christmas Carols, and the preview of Ricky Ian  Gordon's Intimate Apparel, presented in collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera and Lincoln  Center Theater. 

Beyond the concert stage, Carey is an active conductor and composer whose work reflects a deep commitment to history, community, and education. His choral compositions and arrangements are published by GIA Publications, The Lorenz Corporation, and Carus Verlag, and his original works increasingly explore the relationship between historical traditions and contemporary voices. Through Courtney's Stars of Tomorrow, he has presented orchestral, choral, and operatic performances throughout New York City while creating educational programs designed to introduce new and diverse audiences to classical music. 

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Carey earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Morehouse  College, a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music, and a Professional Studies Diploma in Voice from Mannes College of Music. His artistic career has been shaped by a belief that classical music remains a living art form—one that grows richer through new perspectives while remaining rooted in its enduring traditions. 

A Baroque Fantasy: Dialogues with Vivaldi marks Carey's commercial recording debut as both composer and conductor. Recorded with the Bronx Arts Ensemble and featuring soprano Olanna  Goudeau, mezzo-soprano Daveda Browne, tenor Scott La Marca, and bass Justice Yates, the album reflects his continuing commitment to creating meaningful dialogue between the past and the present through music.