Amanda Neatrour
Amanda Neatrour (Van Story Lewis) was born in Washington, DC at Howard University Hospital. Her family lived in the DC area until they moved to Baltimore, MD. She grew up there and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts where she studied as a music major with a concentration in classical vocal music and technique. Amanda began performing at the age of three, appearing in recitals with her violin studio at Wolf Trap and studying ballet technique with Marilyn Gaston at the Ballet Academy of Baltimore until the age of 13. While studying at the School for the Arts, Amanda Joined Morton Street Dance Academy where she studied ballet, modern dance, jazz dance, and traditional West African Dance. Amanda would perform in recital and be featured in concerts throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area in school fundraisers and free goodwill concerts to bring music to the surrounding community.
Amanda would go on to study Classical Voice Performance at Howard University in Washington, DC and sing as a member of the Howard Choir under the baton of Dr. James Weldon Norris. While at Howard, Amanda was very active as a performer and activist. She served in student government as a representative for the then division of Fine Arts, was a performing member of NSAA African Dance Ensemble, joined Sigma Alpha Iota International music fraternity for women, and won title of Miss College of Arts and Sciences participating as a member of the Howard University Homecoming Court. Amanda went on to earn her Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music in Classical Voice performance form Howard University, having also studied general history with great minds such as Dr. Selwyn Carrington, who served as her undergraduate history advisor. While in grad school Amanda attended the Accademia Dell’ Arte in Arezzo, Italy where she studied opera and physical theater. While in Arezzo she trained vocally with Francesca Francalanci of Florence, Italy and attended several master classes taught by opera singer and Baroque opera expert and instructor Jill Feldman. While in Italy, Amanda was invited to perform a solo concert of Spirituals, sacred songs, and Italian art songs and arias.
In 2010 Amanda moved to Pittsburgh, PA to further her vocal studies. That year Amanda was awarded a fellowship through the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, and traveled to the island of Anguilla as a guest of the Episcopal Diocese as a featured soloist in a recital of sacred music. As part of her fellowship, she performed, mentored middle school music students, and spoke to audiences on the contributions of Black Americans in classical music. Since then Amanda has continued her work both in striving to achieve equity for all people, and as a musician and performer, taking on the stage name Amanda Van Story Lewis as an homage to her family. In 2015 she was featured in the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette as a BNY Mellon Emerging Artist with a concert at the Carnegie Library and Music Hall. Most recently Amanda performed in a production with the Undercroft Opera, a program with multi-platform performing artists hosted by the Not-White Collective. In 2019 Amanda joined the board of Demaskus Theater collective and is busy producing works rooted in promoting social justice and amplifying the voices and talents of under-represented communities including an opera and a one woman show. Amanda holds the titles of Miss Black District of Columbia USA 2008 and Miss District of Columbia International 2009. Amanda continues to perform in Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC; and throughout Pennsylvania and is presently studying in the vocal studio of Anna Singer of Pittsburgh, PA.
Amanda would go on to study Classical Voice Performance at Howard University in Washington, DC and sing as a member of the Howard Choir under the baton of Dr. James Weldon Norris. While at Howard, Amanda was very active as a performer and activist. She served in student government as a representative for the then division of Fine Arts, was a performing member of NSAA African Dance Ensemble, joined Sigma Alpha Iota International music fraternity for women, and won title of Miss College of Arts and Sciences participating as a member of the Howard University Homecoming Court. Amanda went on to earn her Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music in Classical Voice performance form Howard University, having also studied general history with great minds such as Dr. Selwyn Carrington, who served as her undergraduate history advisor. While in grad school Amanda attended the Accademia Dell’ Arte in Arezzo, Italy where she studied opera and physical theater. While in Arezzo she trained vocally with Francesca Francalanci of Florence, Italy and attended several master classes taught by opera singer and Baroque opera expert and instructor Jill Feldman. While in Italy, Amanda was invited to perform a solo concert of Spirituals, sacred songs, and Italian art songs and arias.
In 2010 Amanda moved to Pittsburgh, PA to further her vocal studies. That year Amanda was awarded a fellowship through the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, and traveled to the island of Anguilla as a guest of the Episcopal Diocese as a featured soloist in a recital of sacred music. As part of her fellowship, she performed, mentored middle school music students, and spoke to audiences on the contributions of Black Americans in classical music. Since then Amanda has continued her work both in striving to achieve equity for all people, and as a musician and performer, taking on the stage name Amanda Van Story Lewis as an homage to her family. In 2015 she was featured in the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette as a BNY Mellon Emerging Artist with a concert at the Carnegie Library and Music Hall. Most recently Amanda performed in a production with the Undercroft Opera, a program with multi-platform performing artists hosted by the Not-White Collective. In 2019 Amanda joined the board of Demaskus Theater collective and is busy producing works rooted in promoting social justice and amplifying the voices and talents of under-represented communities including an opera and a one woman show. Amanda holds the titles of Miss Black District of Columbia USA 2008 and Miss District of Columbia International 2009. Amanda continues to perform in Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC; and throughout Pennsylvania and is presently studying in the vocal studio of Anna Singer of Pittsburgh, PA.