Four years ago, the Today Show covered Joyce DiDonato’s visit to the maximum-security prison Sing Sing, as part of Carnegie Hall’s Music Connects program which brings men together to write and perform original music, alongside visiting musicians.

That experience led Joyce to meet Kenyatta Hughes, a musician, composer, and former inmate at Sing Sing. Together, they bonded over their affinity for classical music, and how they grew up in Kansas just six miles apart.

Now, fast forward four years, when Joyce asked Mr. Hughes to write a new piece setting Langston Hughes’ poignant text, “I Dream a World,” for her to premiere as part of her curated recital for the Met Stars Live in Concert series from the Metropolitan Opera. The Today Show recently featured their unexpected and inspiring friendship. Watch the full segment here.