“Step into the Spotlight,” sponsored by Viking Cruises, brings to center stage some of those amazing voices that are usually seen (and heard) in the background. Check out the extraordinary lineup of back-up singers or backgrounds vocalists who “step into the spotlight” at the Festival of Arts.

Gabriel Royal got his start as a busker on the New York City subway, but the Oklahoma-born, Brooklyn-based musician has emerged as trailblazing talent with inimitable style and enviable range. He’s performed at NYC’s top music venues, including Poisson Rouge and Blue Note Jazz Club; played to sold-out crowds in countries around the world; and collaborated with some of the industry’s most in-demand names, including the Beyoncé-endorsed music video director Blake Farber. Known for his soaring vocals, hum-along melodies, and lush arrangements, Royal, a classically trained musician, is among a select number of artists combining cello and voice.

In 2016, Royal released his first album, a self-titled project that he mostly wrote while performing underground. And despite the album’s humble beginnings, it established Royal as a singer-songwriter with extraordinary sensitivity and creative intuition. Contemplating themes of love and loss, triumph and failure, and the ups and downs of relationships, the album speaks to Royal’s emotional range—and his penchant for romance.

The theme of romantic love is also the backbone of Royal’s sophomore effort, Miss Once in a Blue Moon, which is scheduled for national release on September 7, 2018.

But for all its tenderness, Miss Once in A Blue Moon is also a bold coming-out from an artist the Huffington Post once dubbed “Brooklyn’s best busker.” There are sweeping melodies, soulful ballads, and layered harmonies— plus, plenty of bright, toe-tapping numbers that you can’t help but sing along to.