Elissa M. Carmona, MSW, CNR '05,

Air Force veteran, Singer/Songwriter, and Community Organizer

Elissa Carmona is a NYC-based singer/songwriter, Air Force veteran, and winner of the 2023 SU-CASA, Arts Fund, Community Arts, and New Work awards. Trained at NYC’s famed Music & Art High School, she holds a BA in social science, an MSW degree in nonprofit management, and is a member of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures.

A soul singer with roots in New Orleans and Puerto Rico, Elissa now performs throughout the U.S. to promote awareness for causes like sickle cell disease, gun violence, and disaster relief. In 2016, she founded Morrisania Band Project, an award-winning musical collective that adds vibrancy to NYC through music, community engagement, and social initiatives.  

In 2023, Elissa headlined throughout NYC at festivals like the DOT Summer Streets, and Bronx and Queens Night Markets, and toured with her band in New Orleans last year. She now performs tributes to legendary singers Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan through commissions from Bronx Council on the Arts, and was the 2023 artist-in-residence at William Hodson Senior Center, widely recognized as the first senior center in the U.S. This summer, she joins Morrisania Band Project for the 2023 Evolution of Soul, a series of live concerts throughout NYC.