The Creatives Shaping Culture in 2025

In 2025, these are the must-know voices shaping culture and the performing arts. Their talent is that of legends; they are true connoisseurs of their craft. These nine visionaries have released Grammy-winning albums; performed in nearly every major concert hall and to packed audiences from the stage; won record-setting Tony nominations; earned pinnacle titles; and become the first to break barriers in their given fields. They have thousands of followers, go viral, hone their crafts with dream collaborators, and in so doing, are charting new courses for themselves, for their art, and for the world.

Read on to learn more about their journeys, inspirations, rituals, and the performances they’ll never forget.

Julia Bullock isn’t afraid to go her own way. The opera star, who recently won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album for her EP, Walking in the Dark, has taken an untraditional route to reach the highest heights in the opera world. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and originally wanted to pursue musical theater. But she discovered classical music thanks to her father, who played her his favorite operatic DVDs and recordings, and inspired her career. Bullock made her Metropolitan Opera debut in El Niño in 2024, and audiences are eagerly awaiting her return to the Met in the upcoming production of Antony and Cleopatra.

On a performance she’ll never forget

My debut at Carnegie Hall in the Stern Auditorium. I felt the legacy of all of the performances and performers that had been there before me—the history was palpable. It’s a space that encouraged me to sing. I had a gold lamé dress on with this beautiful leaf detailing. I felt like I belonged in that space.

On her relationship with renowned opera singer Renée Fleming

Renée has been really inspirational, both in listening to her and watching her, but also, in my personal conversations that I’ve had with her. They are some of the most important conversations in my life, when it comes to personal and professional negotiations.

On her influences

I’m really drawn to soul singers, meaning anyone who was a tremendous interpreter of their materials. They have been a great inspiration. They know how to deliver texts; they also understand the messages of the pieces that they’re singing—they don’t shy away from them. Training in the Bel Canto [vocal style], that’s one of the joys of it. It not only liberates my body in the moment, but it allows me to maintain myself in a way that I can continue to grow. I’m building a life in music, not just aiming towards one great performance.

At age 37, Khatia Buniatishvili already stands as one of the world’s most revered pianists, having performed at just about every major concert hall globally. Born in Batumi, Georgia, and raised in the capital, Tbilsi, Buniatishvili says music served as “a way of survival” for her and her family during the two wars she experienced. Her first performance with the Tbilsi Chamber Orchestra came when she was just 6 years old; she later studied in Vienna, before exploding upon the international stage. Now, Buniatishvili is a Cartier ambassador, and has collaborated with artists like Coldplay. She recently released an album called Mozart, and is set to return to Carnegie Hall next April for a solo show.

On how she imbues her performances with emotion

When you’re onstage, what’s important is to give everything you have in that moment. I always say when I’m onstage it’s like being emotionally naked, because you cannot hide yourself behind the music. Music wakes all the emotions and feelings you have. I say every concert is like my last concert, because I want to live it fully.

On influence versus inspiration

Influence is different than inspiration. I have many inspirations, but I really try to avoid influences because I think art is about individualism. You have to have your own way of reading, but also if you have an influence, it’s like stealing from someone.

On her pre-show ritual

I like to take a nap. Your brain has to be really in good shape, and when you don’t sleep enough, you have to [concentrate more]. Apart from that, before I go onstage, when I have people that I love around me, I definitely hug them before I go up. Otherwise, the very last thing I do is look into a mirror and think about what I will see. I see in my eyes that this is my identity and that reminds me to be grounded. [I like] a huge reaction from the public, but that’s not what matters the most. It’s more about where you come from, who you are. The connection with the inner child that you can see in your eyes, it helps to ground you.

As the artistic director of New York City Center’s Encores! concert series, Lear deBessonet led several productions that went on to Broadway. That’s the dream for someone like her, and she hopes to keep climbing as she moves over to Lincoln Center Theater in the same role. She is the first woman to be in charge of programming in the performing arts center’s history, and succeeds André Bishop, who led the organization since 1992. DeBessonet is also the Founder of Public Works at the Public Theater, where she served as resident director from 2012-2020. She is set to open her tenure with the Broadway transfer of her well-reviewed Encores! production of Ragtime. “I had the opportunity to see the original production of Ragtime,” she says. “It was one of the first shows that I saw on Broadway and it recalibrated my idea of what was possible in the theater.”

On how her hometown, Baton Rouge, influenced her craft

I did not grow up with a ton of exposure to professional theater, but in a way, the culture itself—life itself—was highly theatrical [in Baton Rouge] between Mardi Gras, football games, and church. It was like color, music, spectacle. The intergenerational coming together that happens around art there, and that happens at Mardi Gras, was extremely formative for me. It’s the core of my theatrical essence—the belief in music, color, story, and community.

On her inspiration

Within the theater world, I would say people like Hal Prince [director and composer] and Bartlett Sher [director and executive producer of Lincoln Center Theater], who I work with now, but also more global influences like [director and filmmaker] Peter Brook’s international work. But I also have a lot of influences that are outside of the theater. I am a real devotee of the Olympic opening ceremonies, and would happily parse everything that has ever happened in any of them. I’m very interested in parades and organic moments where the community gathers around storytelling.

On one of her shows that impacted her

I directed a new musical adaption of The Tempest at The Public. It was my first Public Works show, and we had 200 people onstage, along with five Broadway actors, including Norm Lewis and Laura Benanti. We also had drummers, a gospel choir, a marching band, and put all of those artistic riches in service of telling a story. That for me was a defining moment because it had been like an exotic dream that actually happened. So many people had told me it was impossible.

Issac Hernández is the American Ballet Theatre (ABT)’s first Mexican principal dancer. He grew up in Guadalajara, in a family of 11 children, and learned his skills from his father, who was also a dancer. When he turned 12, he went to Philadelphia on a dance scholarship, before moving to New York and participating in ABT Summer Intensives. He then danced with San Francisco Ballet, among others, receiving the esteemed Prix de Benois de la Danse in 2018. For the past 12 years, he has produced a dance show at Mexico City’s National Auditorium, bringing together dancers from all over the world to perform before a crowd of 10,000. “I’ve always tried to come back to Mexico and to make something of the dance scene here,” he says. “I wanted to bring ballads to a different type of audience and create new fans in Mexico.” He is also set to star in a film, Dreams, with Jessica Chastain this fall.

On his influences

My dad was my ballet teacher, so I really [inherited] my passion from him. Growing up, we would talk about complex issues and I got very passionate about politics, history, and characters that have done extraordinary things. Like Einstein and Chaplin, and all these amazing people who had vision and work with very little to make something extraordinary out of their lives.

On why ballet resonates with people

Dance is such an essential part of human connection. It’s a universal language, and it’s something that connects us. It’s rare to take the time to see the beauty come alive in front of your eyes and have this shared experience as a community.

On his favorite performance venue

The National Auditorium in Mexico City is incredibly exciting, because it’s a 10,000-seat venue. It’s something that I've never experienced before anywhere else in the world. And because of the audience—it’s people that have followed my career since I was 8 years old. I have really had an impact in the community in Mexico, so it always feels incredibly special. I get to have my family there, and I get to curate an evening and an experience for 10,000 people. When it all works out, it’s exciting—it feels unlike anything else I’ve [ever] experienced.

Joana Mallwitz started young. The conductor began playing the piano at age three, and the violin at five. As a child in Hildesheim, Germany, she would make music with her friends, but it wasn’t until she was 13, and attended a music academy in Hanover, that she discovered her love for symphonic music and opera. Now, Mallwitz is the chief conductor and artistic director of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin—the first woman to lead one of Berlin’s major orchestras. She also tours the world, and is currently conducting Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at the Metropolitan Opera House.

On why young people should attend the opera

Go one time. When someone goes to the opera or to a symphony for the first time, sometimes this magic happens where they get hit right in the heart by the notes. They always come back, because you can’t really explain what’s happening there. It’s a very emotional and physical experience. When the percussion and strings get going, we have all of these beautiful waves of sound throughout the room. They go through you. Opera singers have voices that fill huge halls. It’s also an experience you have with lots of people. Everyone, regardless of their day and background, goes through this intense thing together. That’s something that I find nowhere else.

On her biggest influence

Leonard Bernstein. I never met him, but he is the musician. He is so full of music, and everything he does seems so natural, but I see that it’s not just instinct. Of course he studied hard, but it goes through his head into his heart and into his body. Then, he releases the music. He has this beautiful way of connecting with people, be it children, be it people who are just there, he brings his enthusiasm to everyone.

On the best venue she’s ever conducted in

The Metropolitan Opera House is pretty amazing, because it’s huge and glamorous, but behind the scenes it has this family feeling. Everyone is working so closely and caring for one another. I also must say Konzerthausorchester Berlin—it is my artistic home, and I love it. I’m there with my orchestra and that’s just the most magical place for me. My opening concert there in 2023 felt like Christmas. We had three days of rehearsals, and then we had to show the world what we were doing and where we were going. The whole hall was shaking with explosive energy and curiosity. In the end, everyone was standing, and the energy was incredible. I will have that in my heart forever.

Chloe Misseldine never thought she’d be promoted to principal dancer onstage. It had never happened in ABT’s history. Then, during the bows after an unforgettable performance of Swan Lake on July 3, 2024, it happened—she went viral on TikTok, her emotion palpable for all to see. For Misseldine, who is set to reprise her role in Swan Lake this summer, ballet is a family affair. Her mom was a soloist with ABT, and she taught Misseldine how to dance at her hometown studio in Orlando, Florida. As a child, she would put on her mom’s pointe shoes, clomping around the house—now, she’s literally following in her mom’s footsteps.​​

On why ballet can speak to a younger generation

Ballet is such a beautiful art form, and it’s changing every day. It’s evolving. Dance is another way to express emotion. If young people were to come to the ballet, I think it would move them in a way they wouldn’t expect. I’m a professional dancer, but I still go to the ballet, whether it’s my company or other companies, to watch my colleagues. It can really speak to you in different ways without you realizing, and it builds inspiration for me.

On her inspiration

My mom is my biggest inspiration. She has just been my rock and my guiding light my whole career. She’s also my best friend. I can talk to her about anything. She’s from Shanghai and moved to the U.S. when she was a young adult. She spoke no English and seeing how she navigated through life is so inspiring to me.

On her influences

Natasha Makarova is a Russian ballerina who defected and came to ABT. She is incredible— one of my biggest inspirations. Also Gelsey Kirkland, who also used to be with ABT. Her work ethic and dedication is incredible.

When he was growing up, two-time Tony winner and New York City Ballet resident choreographer Justin Peck would come from San Diego to New York City every summer with his father to see shows. The trips grew his passion for the craft, eventually spurring him to set up shop in New York City to immerse himself in dance full-time. Peck’s work with the NYC Ballet has earned widespread critical acclaim. He has also won Tony Awards for his choreography in the 2018 revival of Carousel and for Illinoise, a Broadway musical inspired by Sufjan Stevens’s album of the same name. Now, Peck is in the running for a Tony for the third time, thanks to a nomination, with Patricia Delgado, for his choreography in Buena Vista Social Club.

On the work he’s most proud of

I was listening to an interview about what kind of work defines the essence of being, and I would have to go with Illinoise. It’s a tribute to all my influences and inspirations from a young age. So much of it is about community, which is a theme that always shows up in my work. I’ve always struggled to find my own sense of community, so the act of building a show or dance feels like a tangible way to access that. It brings together not only a cast and creative team, but [also] the audience [gets] to be a part of it. I’m both proud of the work and baffled by how it came to be what it was.

On why dance is important

Dance is an expression of the subconscious and taps into something that’s less cognitive. There is a lot of logic in dance composition, but the kind of emotion that runs through it is something deeper. It can’t be expressed through words. There are elements of it that express a sense of connection, bonding, community, and beauty. It’s one of those rare and unique art forms that is hard for people to understand, but when it’s right, it’s one of the most profound things someone can experience.

On a piece of music he loves that would surprise people

“Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan. I love that whole album. It’s one of those albums where I’m just like, “Damn, this whole thing is just so good.”

Hayato Sumino never expected for people his age to fall in love with classical music, but his YouTube channel proved him wrong. Born and raised in Japan, the 29-year-old star, who has nearly 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube, originally went to college to study computer science. In his free time, he would tickle the keys, and then during the COVID-19 pandemic, he began uploading videos to YouTube. Sumino is now noted for incorporating jazz improvisation into his classical sets, and is set to make his Carnegie Hall debut this fall, where he will play Chopin, Kapustin, and some of his own original works.

On his upcoming Carnegie Hall debut

I moved to New York City two years ago. Back then, I didn’t have any engagement in America—I just wanted to move to New York to have a larger career abroad. Of course, having a concert in Carnegie Hall was one of my biggest goals. I didn’t expect it would come that early, but I’m so happy.

On his pre-performance rituals

I’m trying not to have rituals, because sometimes I cannot do something. What I do is just practice as much as possible, warm up my hands, and take cough drop medicine.

On his YouTube channel

I never expected my channel would become popular. I just started it for fun when I was in school. My first video was not even a piano performance—I was playing video games. It was just totally random, but somehow became bigger and bigger, especially during COVID, because my concerts got canceled or postponed, [and] we all had to stay at home. I decided to focus on creating YouTube content during that that time. It was pretty fun. I was able to do whatever I wanted to, covering whatever pieces. At a certain point, I started uploading classical music as well. At first, I didn’t expect it to get many views, because it is so limited, but it ended up attracting a lot of attention.

Kara Young holds the record for the most consecutive Tony nominations by a Black performer. Her first nomination came in 2022 for Clyde’s, followed by a nod for 2022’s The Cost of Living; then, she won for her role in 2023’s Purlie Victorious revival. This year, she’s up for the award once again—this time for her role as Aziza in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Purpose. Young credits Harlem, where she was born and raised, with inspiring her work. The neighborhood is where she found her love of the performing arts, taking extracurriculars in dance and acting during school. She enrolled in college, but after a rousing improv performance that left the audience in tears, she dropped out and pursued her acting dreams full-time. Today, she’s cemented in Tony Awards history.

On attending the Met Gala this year

It was one of those iconic moments in Black history and Black fashion—an homage to so many before us and the giants that we stand on. Being born and raised in Harlem, the exhibit [“Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”] gave me absolute chills. I want to go back three or four or five times.

On her standout performance

I did this play in 2017 called Syncing Ink. It was first produced at the Alley Theater [in Houston] and then we ended up having a later production at the Flea Theater [in New York City]. It paid homage to hip-hop, and to the ancestors, and it was one of those plays that wasn’t a play, but an experience. It was so challenging because I had to be completely open and malleable, because it was very interactive with the audience. Eventually, people came from all over to see this play in a 99-seat theater. It was absolutely insane.

On why theater is important

In this world, there is so much division between race, class, gender, and more. We are trying to put people in their boxes. The theater is one of the few places where you ever get people from all backgrounds. All ages, all races, sit together for three hours, and listen to a play. Last night [at our performance of Purpose], it was so crazy to me that Angela Bassett and Daniel Kaluuya were sitting in the same theater, the biggest stars, with people who might have paid for a $45 rush ticket. It creates such a unification of heartbeats and a reminder that we’re all human. In Purpose, Brandon [Jacobs-Jenkins, the writer] lays so much down for us. There’s no one thing that you can walk out and say, “This is what it is about.” It’s about so many things, and for all of us to be together, leaning in—that’s revolutionary right now.