Traci Tolmaire is a multi-disciplinary artist, music executive, and proud Chicago native whose two-decade career bridges the worlds of performance, music, and storytelling. Her love of the arts began with dance and her training in ballet, modern, tap, and jazz at various institutions including Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre, Joel Hall, Lou Conte/Hubbard Street, and Atlanta Ballet. With undergraduate studies at Spelman College and New York University, Traci graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Theatre from her beloved alma mater Spelman.
Driven and inspired by new work, Traci was a company member of Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s The Living Word project for ten years. As a member, she had the opportunity to combine her artistry onstage with her passion for and experience in arts education and community engagement. Under the direction of Michael John Garcés, she developed and performed in the national tours of Bessie Award Nominee red, black, & GREEN: a blues and /peh-LO-tah/ at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, The Kennedy Center, MCA Chicago, and BAM in New York.
Her additional performance credits include Jelly’s Last Jam (Le Petit Theatre); Cherchez La Femme (La MaMa ETC); Mirrors In Every Corner (Campo Santo); and Trouble in Mind (Actor's Express). Choreography credits include Big Easy Award winner for Best Musical of the Year Jelly’s Last Jam, for which Traci also received a Best Choreographer nomination and Gee's Bend (Hartford Stage), Connecticut Critics Circle Award Winner for Best Ensemble.
Traci continues to grow as a creative, making her debut as playwright with the 2023 premiere of her piece In the Evening by the Moonlight at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre in San Francisco. The play examines the life of iconic playwright, activist, and fellow Chicagoan Lorraine Hansberry through her friendship with the prolific James Baldwin and incomparable Nina Simone. Traci's play CHI-BOY (pronounced Shy-Boy) has been developed at The Kennedy Center (Page to Stage) and with the award-winning multi-cultural theater company Campo Santo in San Francisco. In tandem with her writing, Traci is an emerging producer and was a member of the inaugural BIPOC commercial producing course created by Theatre Producers of Color (TPOC).
In parallel with Traci's thriving artistic career, she has made significant strides as a music executive. Under the leadership of industry pioneer Sylvia Rhone, Traci held pivotal roles in the A&R Department at Universal Motown contributing to projects for Stevie Wonder, India.Arie, Q-Tip, Lloyd, Swizz Beatz, and Cash Money. Following a hiatus to focus on her work as a choreographer, performer, and playwright, she rejoined the music industry in 2017 at UnitedMasters, a music tech start-up founded by visionary Steve Stoute, where she climbed the ranks to VP of Artist Operations. While at UM, Traci bridged teams and strategy to drive operational excellence across a global artist roster in the U.S., Nigeria, Brazil, India, and Chile. As an original team member, she architected the foundation and future of the company, which today supports millions of independent artists including Brent Faiyaz, BigXthaPlug, FloyyMenor, Sarz, and Tobe Nwigwe and champions cultural impact through music. In 2025, Traci was honored as a Billboard Women In Music Executive Honoree joining the ranks of dynamic leaders in various areas of the music business.
Driven and inspired by new work, Traci was a company member of Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s The Living Word project for ten years. As a member, she had the opportunity to combine her artistry onstage with her passion for and experience in arts education and community engagement. Under the direction of Michael John Garcés, she developed and performed in the national tours of Bessie Award Nominee red, black, & GREEN: a blues and /peh-LO-tah/ at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, The Kennedy Center, MCA Chicago, and BAM in New York.
Her additional performance credits include Jelly’s Last Jam (Le Petit Theatre); Cherchez La Femme (La MaMa ETC); Mirrors In Every Corner (Campo Santo); and Trouble in Mind (Actor's Express). Choreography credits include Big Easy Award winner for Best Musical of the Year Jelly’s Last Jam, for which Traci also received a Best Choreographer nomination and Gee's Bend (Hartford Stage), Connecticut Critics Circle Award Winner for Best Ensemble.
Traci continues to grow as a creative, making her debut as playwright with the 2023 premiere of her piece In the Evening by the Moonlight at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre in San Francisco. The play examines the life of iconic playwright, activist, and fellow Chicagoan Lorraine Hansberry through her friendship with the prolific James Baldwin and incomparable Nina Simone. Traci's play CHI-BOY (pronounced Shy-Boy) has been developed at The Kennedy Center (Page to Stage) and with the award-winning multi-cultural theater company Campo Santo in San Francisco. In tandem with her writing, Traci is an emerging producer and was a member of the inaugural BIPOC commercial producing course created by Theatre Producers of Color (TPOC).
In parallel with Traci's thriving artistic career, she has made significant strides as a music executive. Under the leadership of industry pioneer Sylvia Rhone, Traci held pivotal roles in the A&R Department at Universal Motown contributing to projects for Stevie Wonder, India.Arie, Q-Tip, Lloyd, Swizz Beatz, and Cash Money. Following a hiatus to focus on her work as a choreographer, performer, and playwright, she rejoined the music industry in 2017 at UnitedMasters, a music tech start-up founded by visionary Steve Stoute, where she climbed the ranks to VP of Artist Operations. While at UM, Traci bridged teams and strategy to drive operational excellence across a global artist roster in the U.S., Nigeria, Brazil, India, and Chile. As an original team member, she architected the foundation and future of the company, which today supports millions of independent artists including Brent Faiyaz, BigXthaPlug, FloyyMenor, Sarz, and Tobe Nwigwe and champions cultural impact through music. In 2025, Traci was honored as a Billboard Women In Music Executive Honoree joining the ranks of dynamic leaders in various areas of the music business.