Terry Artis Jr. ’23 didn’t think a career in opera would be possible for him. He rarely saw African Americans take center stage. That changed when he watched a pre-recorded performance of the Metropolitan Opera on PBS that featured African American operatic bass-baritone Eric Owens.
“When I saw his performance, I knew right then what I wanted to go to school for and what I wanted to be one day,” he recalled.
Since becoming a student at UNCW, Artis has performed in numerous campus and community events, from commencement to the chancellor’s installation and Opera Wilmington.
“With those opportunities, I have made connections with different people at UNCW, in the community and even in the area of profession that I want to pursue,” he said. “I am grateful to my professors for giving me opportunities because it prepares me for what’s to come.”
Not only has music served as a form of expression, but it was also a vehicle to aid Artis in overcoming his learning disabilities. Artis, a native of Richlands, NC, had a challenging time reading and talking when he was in the first grade. He was diagnosed with dyslexia and auditory processing disorder. He also developed a stutter. His parents took him to therapy.
“Some teachers told my mom that I would never graduate high school and any higher education past high school would not be in the picture for me,” recalled Artis, who is a recipient of the Department of Music Merit Scholarship, the Douglas Johnson Scholarship, the M&S Everett Scholarship, and the inaugural recipient of the Virginia Hughes Memorial Scholarship.
“Whenever I was doing my homework, my mom would play music, which would help me focus and not get distracted by anything else,” Artis said. “With music, I was able to improve my learning in and out of school. After overcoming that, I saw things in a different way. It taught me how to persevere and to work hard and not let any disability to hold you back.”
After graduation, Artis plans to prepare for graduate school at the University of South Carolina. He also looks forward to being a part of
Opera Wilmington’s Verdi’s
La Traviata production this summer.
