Kofi Hayford, prize-winning Ghanaian-American bass, described as possessing an “impressive” (Brooklyn Discovery) “sonorous,” (Meet Me at the Opera) and “stentorian bass voice” (National Herald) also produces a distinct sound - easily identified for its unique timbre. With over 35 different operatic roles under his belt, he is swiftly building his reputation as an accomplished  bass by bringing an ‘exciting’ and ‘stunning’ sound to the stage. Kofi has performed with many prestigious  organizations including: The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, United Nations Symphony Orchestra, and many others. Tonight’s  performance marks Kofi’s debut as a Principal Artist with New Amsterdam Opera. In 2019, Mr. Hayford created the role of Pedro in the US debut of The Andean Hope, with The United Nations Symphony Orchestra. His major opera roles have included: Mephistopheles in Faust, Ramphis and The King in Aida,  Timur in Turandot, La Roche in Strauss’ Capriccio, Raimondo in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Sarastro in The Magic Flute, Rodolfo in La Sonnambula, Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Sparafucile and Monterone in Rigoletto,  and Baldassare in La  Favorita. He recently toured in Canada’s beautiful Northwest Territories performing a series of solo concerts as far north as the Arctic Circle. Additionally, Kofi made his European performance debut in 2021 through the Berlin Opera Academy in Kandersteg, Switzerland playing the role of Simone in Puccini’s comedic opera Gianni Schicchi. Mr. Hayford made his small stage Carnegie Hall debut singing at Weill Recital Hall performing Verdi and Mozart Excerpts  and also sang the inaugural performance of the Greek Opera Olympic Flame singing the role of the titan Prometheus at Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium - later receiving an award from UNESCO for this performance. Kofi is the 2018 1st Place Winner of the Tchaikovsky Music Competition(Albany, NY), a 2017 NJ State Opera Guild Competition Finalist, and a 2007 Songfest Young Artist. He received his Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from SUNY Buffalo and is a founder of the DictionBuddy mobile app.