New Release from Acis: Why Do the Nations, Stephen Powell, Baritone Piano

Following his debut in 2020: AMERICAN COMPOSER’S AT PLAY: WILLIAM BOLCOM, RICKY IAN GORDON, LORI LAITMAN, JOHN MUSTO

-GRAMMY®-nominated, Classical Solo Vocal

-“extraordinary” Gramophone

-“Superb in both concept and execution” Opera News-Critic’s Choice

Acis presents STEPHEN POWELL (baritone and piano), in WHY DO THE NATIONS, an album of 27 art songs from 11 nations that “speak to the universal themes that can heal a broken world: love and longing, peace and prosperity.” Powell’s liner notes expand on themes that unite us across traditional boundaries of nation,
of race, of sex and gender. As beautifully conceived as his solo debut last year—the energy and precision with which “both” artists speak as one sheds new light on many of these works.

GRAMMY®-nominated producer GEOFFREY SILVER: “We’re honored to present STEPHEN POWELL again this year, following on from his double GRAMMY® nomination. WHY DO THE NATIONS was conceived as a COVID-era project, where the singer could safely sing unmasked—because his accompanist was...STEPHEN POWELL. This combination of usually distinct performing roles is commonplace in non-classical world, but is highly unusual in the classical genre of art song—and possibly the first time in history.”

STREAMING NOW ON ALL PLATFORMS