About

Jessica T. Carter (b. 1992) is a composer, violinist, mezzo-soprano, voice coach, and educator from Indiana described as evocative and lyrical by Aspire Magazine and Apricity Magazine, respectively, who is swiftly making a name for herself. Specializing in concert music, film scoring, and musical theatre, Jessica's aim and goal as a composer is to exude the message of hope and freedom to all but specifically to marginalized children.

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 Jessica is an avid performer. As a violinist, she studied with Jae Sung Lee and Dr. Brendan Shea. She has performance experience with the Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra and the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and regularly performs with Elkhart Symphony. As a dramatic mezzo soprano, Jessica studied with Victoria Garrett and Dr. Emanuel Cristian Caraman. She has appeared with the South Bend Lyric Opera in the choruses for Rigoletto, La Traviata, and Cavalleria Rusticana in which she also covered the role of Lucia. 

In both 2018 and 2019, Jessica Carter was the recipient of the Craig and Carol Kapson Bicentennial Scholarship in Music through Indiana University South Bend. In 2020, she was the winner of the Indiana University South Bend Symphonic Composition Competition with the work, "Rancor and Triumph", Concerto for cello and orchestra. In the same year, Jessica was published for her ground-breaking research entitled, "Concert Music of the Civil Rights Movement: Uncovering the Erasure of Black American Composers in the United States." That same year, she release her first EP on Spotify and Apple Music entitled, "Memories" after her piano sonata written in 2019. Additionally, Jessica has completed three full-length musicals and one chamber opera. In 2022, Jessica landed a composition fellowship with  MusicaNova Orchestra in Phoenix, AZ. Additionally, Jessica is a teacher and a music director, as well as a theatrical voice coach and stage technician. 

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Jessica has both attended and worked the Bravo! Vail Music Festival in Vail CO, the Atlantic Music Festival in Waterville, ME, the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival in South Bend, IN, and most recently the IRCAM multidisciplinary festival ManiFest in Paris, France.  She has been commissioned by several organizations including Crossing Borders Music, Castle Of Our Skins, and the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, Jessica has worked with several renown composers and ensembles such as Marilyn Shrude, David Ludwig, Clara Iannotta, and Billy Childs as well as Trio Fibonacci and the Euclid Quartet. Jessica holds a Bachelor's of Arts in Music from Bethel University and a Master's of Music in Music Composition under the tutelage of Dr. Jorge Muniz from Indiana University South Bend.