Artist Spotlight: Nia Imani Franklin

When Nia Imani Franklin was crowned Miss America in 2019, we jumped to our feet with excitement and were blown away by her talent, beauty, and elegance. Since then, Nia has continued to perform and advocate for arts in schools and communities. Not only is Nia a classically trained opera singer, but she's also a composer and we are so excited to see her world-premiere of Polaris at Festival Napa Valley on Saturday, July 16th, 2022!

Scroll below to learn more about her new work (an anthem in honor of Juneteenth!) and to WATCH our exclusive insider about her upcoming performance at the world-renowned Festival Napa Valley, that is kicking off this month...

About Nia Imani Franklin

North Carolina-born, Nia Imani Franklin, was crowned Miss America in 2019 where she showcased her amazing operatic voice singing "Quando m'en vo" from the critically-acclaimed opera, La boheme. She not only touched the hearts of the pageant judges but millions across the world!

Click here for tickets to see the debut performance of Nia's 'Polaris' on July 16th at Festival Napa Valley!

This year, Festival Napa Valley is gearing up for an inspirational performance by Nia Imani Franklin. On Saturday, July 16th, Nia will debut her world-premiere of Polaris at The CIA at Copia. Polaris is Nia's anthem to Juneteenth becoming a National Holiday as of 2021. Her anthem will be performed by the award-winning ensemble, The Young People's Chorus of New York City. *Fun Fact: The Young People's Chorus of NYC has performed in venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and even the White House! They have over 30 awards and nominations, including a recent nomination for a New York Emmy Award!

[?] CLICK BELOW to watch our exclusive Artist Spotlight, featuring Nia Imani Franklin! [?]

About Festival Napa Valley

Festival Napa Valley is one of the most celebrated music and lifestyle festivals in the country where audiences get to experience performances by some of the best classical artists from around the world at some of the most prestigious wineries and venues in Napa. It's honestly the ultimate passport for you to explore the best that Napa Valley has to offer!

And the best part is, the proceeds go towards supporting young artists, continuing live performances, and offering arts education programs throughout the country. They have already reached over a thousand children with their Summer Arts Programs and are excited to reach even more! To-date, more than $15 million has been raised for Festival Napa Valley's arts education, making it among the nation's biggest fundraisers for arts education. BRAVO!

Performance Highlights

Festival Napa Valley is the perfect place for Nia to premiere her new composition. She debuted her EP, Extended, and was named Composer in Residence at Festival Napa Valley in 2021.

"I really love their [Festival Napa Valley's] inclusivity of art. I mean last year, I was having the west coast premiere of my orchestra piece. But then, a few days later, I was singing at a Tony Bennett tribute....I really love that they celebrate all different types of art."

We couldn't agree more! Not only does Festival Napa Valley present a variety of genres (like jazz, classical, and dance), but they also present their concerts in a variety of formats. From lavish vintner dinners to intimate concerts at exclusive wineries, and free concerts for families, this 10-day festival really has it all!

Some of the performances that we're most looking forward to is Nia's world premiere of Polaris on July 16th (of course!), A Night at the Ballet: From Tchaikovsky to the Rolling Stones (featuring dancers from the SF Ballet and NYC Ballet) on July 21st and Joshua Bell and Larisa Martinez's performance of opera arias and orchestral classics on July 23rd!

About Hall Wines

While Kari and Nia caught up more about the festival, they got to experience some of the modern art exhibitions around Hall Wines along with one of the oldest buildings in Napa Valley! If you haven't tried Hall Wines, you definitely should put it on your list! In fact, Festival Napa Valley is hosting their opening night dinner at Hall on July 15th! You can find out more about it HERE.

Hall Wines are known for its high-quality wines, state-of-the-art winery, and picturesque tasting rooms. They also use innovative technology to yield the highest quality of grapes! *Fun Fact: Hall's vineyards include more than 500 acres of Bordeaux wines (you read right!)* Don't miss a chance to experience and taste their wines.

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Festival Napa Valley's summer season will start on Friday, July 15th, and will be jammed packed (no pun intended!) each day with unique wine and music experiences until July 24th. It will include world-class performances, high-quality wines, and beautiful wine country sceneries. Click HERE to find out more!

We look forward to seeing you there!