Entertainer, Speaker, Designer
Allegra Durante is a well-traveled entertainer and public speaker with a passion for connecting people and helping them breathe a little more easily. A recent graduate of City College of New York with an MA in Psychology, she gained real-world organizational psychology experience during two paid working fellowships, and is eager to bring her new knowledge into familiar fields such as performance and speech coaching, systems design, and advocacy.
Beginnings
After discovering an interest in acting and singing at age 9, Allegra chose to pursue a career as an opera singer after high school. She has been singing professionally since 2011, most recently becoming Choir Director for a volunteer choir in Brooklyn, NY. In 2017 she began working as an extra in film and TV productions, earning her SAG-AFTRA union membership within two years. In the same year, she began participating in, facilitating, and running immersive theatre and larp events.
Present work
Allegra has worked as a photo editor, print & digital media designer, copyeditor, social media copywriter, administrative assistant, and fine jewelry sales specialist. The pandemic lockdowns of 2020-2021 and accompanying disappearance of live opera performance opportunites were a hard reality check, as she realized that a career in live performance could not provide the stability she wanted. After months spent reassessing her life goals and alternate career possibilities, Ms. Durante applied to college in late 2020. She was accepted to City College of New York, her first choice school, in 2021. She chose to major in Psychology because it echoes her primary interest in performing: helping people understand each other’s commonalities and connect with each other. She graduated in 2026 with a BA and MA in Psychology, focusing on organizational psychology and research.
Personal interests
Allegra is interested in integrating her experience in psychology and in the performing arts to help effect lasting change on an industrial and systemic level. Her experience in corporate settings has impressed on her the importance of creating a positive environment for employees; she is passionate about using research to advocate for positive working conditions, particularly within large companies, and to offer employees tools to advocate for themselves and use their strengths in the workplace.