Program Manager for the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging | The Juilliard School

Brittney Bryanna Burgess is an educator, arts administrator, and a Black opera singer from Queens, NY. Brittney is an emerging arts leader and activist within the nonprofit sector. She aims to create sustainable opportunities for young musicians through the lens of equity of inclusion. As an educator, Brittney focuses on reaching engagement through advocacy and community engagement. She centers herself on the needs of the students and the community. Her energetic and innovative spirit has allowed her to discover new opportunities as a young leader.

Brittney was the Operations Director for Buffalo String Works (BSW), a nonprofit after-school music program that ignites personal and community leadership through accessible, youth-centered music education. In this role, she adapted and expanded the El Sistema-inspired strings program into neighborhoods across Buffalo, NY. The program serves refugees, immigrants, and minority students 5-17. Before her work at BSW, Brittney served as the Graduate Assistant for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Eastman School of Music where her goal was to create a safe space for students. In one year, Brittney assisted in creating a DEI office and a graduate student position. Additionally, she sat on the search committee for the first DEI Director. Within that time, she also served as the Graduate Advisor for the Black Students Union, where she and her peers fostered a community for the Black Students at Eastman.

Brittney has been recognized as the 2022 Diversity Award Recipient from the Eastman School of Music and the Willard J. Hines "We Can Make a World of Difference Voice Scholarship Award”. Additionally, Brittney was recently accepted into the Sphinx Lead Program in the Fifth Cohort of the Sphinx Organization.

Brittney holds a Master's Degree from the Eastman School of Music in Vocal Performance and Literature and a Bachelor's in Music Education from Nazareth College.