Biography
Hillary Watkins, soprano, was born in Jackson, Mississippi to Dr. Earl and Cassaundra Watkins. She is the younger sister to music producer, Christopher Earl Watkins. Hillary is a proud alumna of Jackson State University with a Bachelors Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Music Vocal Performance, and a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois.
Throughout her career, she has participated in a wide range of artistic and business pursuits. She has conducted independent research in the fields of ethnic music and cultural economics, as well as performing and volunteering in her local community. She has participated in music and theatre engagements, maintained a private voice studio, and assisted in personal growth and development courses. All of these attributes contribute to her diverse abilities.
Hillary started playing violin at E. Isable Elementary School, in third grade, under the instruction of Cotina Wicks. She attended Blackburn Middle School and performed in the orchestra as 2nd violin section leader, also under the instruction of Miss Cotina Wicks. While in orchestra, she performed in Texas and Missouri.
Hillary is a proud alumna of Jim Hill High School. While attending this prestigious school, under the direction Mr. James Hawkins, she earned the title of the school’s Grand Champion 1st Soprano Section Leader. During that time, she competed in District and State Choir Competitions for four years (Pearl Competition, superior rating/grand champion), competed in national and international choir competitions (four years – high school/superior rating/grand champion). Additionally, Hillary was invited to sing in honor of the Pulitzer Prize Winner, Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns. Hillary was a two- year local medalist (2011-2012) for the NAACP ACT-SO Competition.
PERFORMANCES
During her first two years at Jackson State University, Hillary became a lead vocalist in the University’s Concert Chorale and University Choir under the direction of W.C. Castilla. Under the vocal instruction of Dr. Phyllis Lewis-Hale, she won first place as gold medalist in the MMTA Collegiate Competition held at the Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Mississippi. She also competed in the NATS Competition held at the University of Southern Mississippi where she progressed into the semifinals and finals. Hillary traveled and performed in Vienna, Austria in Europe with the Jackson State University Concert Chorale. She also traveled with the Chorale during their Spring Tour. The tour included Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, and Illinois. In July 2016, Hillary lived in Viterbo, Italy for a month while performing in four concerts and in the performance of Mozart’s Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute). She performed the lead role as the Queen of the Night. Hillary performed in JSU’s Opera Workshop 2017 Spring Performance. and was featured in scenes from Mozart’s Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) as the Queen of the Night and Gilda from Verdi’s Rigoletto. Hillary competed in the Neue Stimman International Competition in May of 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. and was also featured on the JSU website and the Clarion Ledger as the “Little Lady with the Big Voice”. In 2018, she competed in the New York Lyric Opera Theatre Competition where she advanced to the semifinals. Hillary performed in the 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in Memphis where she performed and won the Encouragement Award. Since then, Hillary has performed in a host of concerts, including her own. Hillary created the Let's Talk About It Podcast series to discuss music, education, and civil rights. She is a self published author, and has released her most recent book, A Musician's Devotional.
