Zuly Inirio
Dr. Zuly E. Inirio, DMA, LSW is a soprano, Creative Producer, scholar, and cultural strategist whose work lives at the intersection of art, community building, and social transformation. She weaves together performance, storytelling, advocacy, and organizing to create experiences that foster connection, belonging, and cultural liberation. As Founder & Executive Director of Instituto Cimarrón, Dr. Inirio leads the Afro-Latinx Song & Opera Project, Art in Healing, and the Art Equity Alliance — initiatives centering the voices and legacies of communities of color. Her work is guided by a deep belief that art is a tool for collective memory, healing, and social change.
A sought-after performer, she has appeared nationally and internationally — including in Verdi's Requiem in Munich and Aida in Sicily — and is celebrated for interdisciplinary projects such as the immersive triptych Requiem for Black Grief, the forthcoming opera Counter Current, and her 2025 Carnegie Hall debut recital, Cantos de Quisqueya.
As a Licensed Social Worker, she integrates somatics, strengths-based leadership, and trauma-informed practice into her creative producing. She has partnered with Lincoln Center, SphinxLEAD, 1Hood Media, Carnegie Mellon University, and others to design programs that expand possibilities for BIPOC artists and cultural workers.
Whether producing artistic work, curating conversations, or designing community-rooted initiatives, Dr. Inirio's mission remains constant: to amplify the stories of diasporic communities and create collaborative spaces where art becomes a catalyst for connection, empowerment, and social impact.
