Canaan J. Harris is a NYC-based composer, pianist, and music director. He usually spends his days composing, playing ballet classes at Alvin Ailey, playing musical theater classes at the Institute of the American Musical Theater, giving piano lessons; and his nights playing cabarets at 54 Below, The Green Room 42, Chelsea Table & Stage, among others. As a composer, his work has been featured at Theater Aspen, Tri-Cities Opera, 54 Below, The Green Room 42, The Laurie Beechman Theater, among others. Canaan was also a recipient of the SUNY PACC Prize to fund his Pocket Opera Project (POP) which is in currently in its second iteration. The program developes 15 minute operas based on middle schooler’s short stories with composers and librettists from Binghamton Univerity and are performed by Tri-Cities Opera to enrich the local community and engage them in the arts.