Baritone Will Liverman Releases Two New Singles, Good-night and There is a Balm in Gilead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR Contact: Katlyn Morahan | Morahan Arts and Media
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BARITONE WILL LIVERMAN RELEASES TWO NEW SINGLES

Good-night, An Art Song Set to Text by Paul Laurence Dunbar, Co-Written and
Featuring Liverman and Violinist Lady Jess, Released on December 18

New Arrangement by Liverman of There is a Balm in Gilead,
Released on December 23 Featuring Soprano Jasmine Muhammad,
Mezzo-Soprano Tesia Kwarteng, and Liverman on Piano

Press-Only Download (Password - night):
https://bit.ly/Liverman2022

www.willliverman.com

New York, NY (December 19, 2022) — Following the hugely successful releases of his albums Dreams of a New Day – Songs by Black Composers (released by Cedille in 2021; Grammy Nominee for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album) and Whither Must I Wander (released by Odradek in 2020), baritone Will Liverman self-releases two singles this month: his own composition Good-night, co-written with violinist Lady Jess, which was released on December 18; plus his original arrangement of the traditional spiritual There is a Balm in Gilead, which is out on December 23.

Liverman performs on each song, with Good-night featuring him at the piano and singing, and co-composer Lady Jess playing the violin. Soprano Jasmine Muhammad and mezzo-soprano Tesia Kwarteng are featured on There is a Balm in Gilead, with Liverman on piano.

Good-night – about pure, untarnished devotion – is part of a trilogy of songs set to the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Preceded by Golden Day, commissioned by soprano Lauren Snouffer and premiered on Houston Grand Opera’s 2021-22 digital season, Liverman was drawn to Dunbar’s writing because of its honesty and poignancy. As an artist committed to providing new platforms for creatives, Liverman offers a fresh musical perspective on the influential Civil War-era poet who was born to enslaved parents. Good-night explores the sentiments of different points of the day and offers a blessing of love, which resonate with Liverman as the 2022 holiday season approaches. The single is a reminder that every day is a new opportunity to be approached with gratitude and peace, and will ultimately be part of The Dunbar Psalmbook, a full album of songs by Liverman set to Dunbar’s works to be released at a later date. Good-night was released on co-composer and featured violinist Lady Jess’ birthday, December 18.

Liverman and Lady Jess will perform the new piece at Alice Tully Hall on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at 7:30pm in a recital co-presented by Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Opera.

Growing up in the Gospel church, There is a Balm in Gilead is one of the first spirituals that Liverman remembers listening to. As he began his studies as a classical singer, he was particularly influenced by Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman’s recording of the piece, and he became fascinated by the sound of multiple voices layered on top of each other. As Liverman’s classical singing career has progressed, he continues to pay homage to his musical gospel roots. Having arranged several traditional spirituals thus far, he arranged There is a Balm in Gilead specifically for soprano Jasmine Muhammad and mezzo-soprano Tesia Kwarteng who are featured on the recording. The song – an expression of resilience and tranquility – is out on December 23, 2022.

On his work as a composer of art song, Liverman remarks, “I love singing art song because of all the different ways to tell a story. Piano was my first love, and there’s an intimacy that you can achieve between voice and piano that doesn’t exist in other genres. When I thought about making the move to step outside of my work as a singer and develop my compositional skills, combining my love of piano and voice felt like the natural step.”

In 2021, Liverman released his second solo album, Dreams of a New Day – Songs by Black Composers, on Cedille Records. Performed with pianist Paul Sánchez, the album features Black composers across generations, from early 20th-century pioneers Henry Burleigh, Margaret Bonds, and Thomas Kerr to Robert Owens, Leslie Adams, and contemporary composers Damien Sneed and Shawn E. Okpebholo. The album was nominated for a 2022 Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. Listen to the album here.

Liverman’s first complete opera, The Factotum, which he co-created with producer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist DJ King Rico, premieres at Lyric Opera of Chicago in February 2023. Commissioned by Lyric Opera of Chicago, the opera is inspired by The Barber of Seville, updating Rossini’s beloved comedy to a Black barbershop on Chicago's South Side. The Factotum blends diverse musical styles to create a soul opera, moving from gospel and funk to rap, hip-hop, classic barbershop quartet, and R&B. World premiere performances take place on February 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12, 2023.

Singles
1. Will Liverman and Lady Jess – Good-night [3:30]
     Featuring Lady Jess, violin
2. Traditional (arr. Will Liverman) – There is a Balm in Gilead  [2:55]
     Featuring Jasmine Muhammad, soprano and Tesia Kwarteng, mezzo-soprano

Recorded & Produced by DJ King Rico
Mastered by Heba Kadry

About Will Liverman
Called “a voice for this historic moment” (Washington Post), GRAMMY-nominated baritone Will Liverman is the recipient of the 2022 Beverly Sills Artist Award by The Metropolitan Opera. He opened the Met’s 2021-22 season in a celebrated “breakout performance” (New York Times) as Charles in Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones. Following Fire’s success, the Met announced that Liverman will star in Anthony Davis’ X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, which will be the second opera by a Black composer in the company’s history, premiering in the fall of 2023.

Following performances at Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festival, Liverman’s 2022-23 season opens at the Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, where he plays the Celebrant in Bernstein’s Mass. Next, the European premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s Blue takes Liverman to Dutch National Opera, where he makes his house debut as the Reverend in the Music Critics Association’s 2020 pick for “Best New Opera.”

Liverman’s new opera, The Factotum, which he stars in and composed with DJ/recording artist K. Rico, premieres at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in February 2023. Previously workshopped at the Ryan Opera Center in winter 2020, The Factotum blends classical singing with diverse musical styles, moving from hip-hop, R&B, funk, and gospel to traditional barbershop quartet to create a soul opera. Inspired by Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, the piece takes place in a present-day Black barbershop on Chicago’s South Side and celebrates the strength of community and power of the human spirit.

Other 22-23 season engagements include performances of the title role in Pelléas et Mélisande at LA Opera and Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles at Austin Opera; appearances with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Portland Opera, Art Bath, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Sparks & Wiry Cries, and Brooklyn Art Song Society; and solo recital performances at London’s Wigmore Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Virginia Opera, Chamber Music Northwest, and Friends of Chamber Music.

In addition to opening the Met’s 21-22 season with Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Liverman revisited the role of Charles at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in a “rich leading performance” (Chicago Tribune) described as a “beautifully vocalized … gripping portrayal” (Opera News). Further highlights from last season include reprisals of his roles in Akhnaten (Horemhab) and The Magic Flute (Papageno) at the Met Opera; Steward (Jonathan Dove’s Flight) at Dallas Opera; and performances with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Aspen Music Festival, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Park Avenue Armory, and Chicago Sinfonietta.

In February 2021, Cedille Records released Liverman’s Dreams of a New Day: Songs by Black Composers with pianist Paul Sanchez – a collection of works by Damien Sneed, Henry Burleigh, H. Leslie Adams, Robert Owens, Margaret Bonds, and Thomas Kerr, plus a world premiere recording by Shawn E. Okpebholo and Liverman’s arrangement of Richard Fariña’s Birmingham Sunday. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical chart, and The New Yorker praised its “clarity, sensitivity, and barely contained heartbreak,” while NPR declared “velvet-voiced baritone Will Liverman is out to make the classical music canon more inclusive.” Dreams of a New Day was nominated for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album at the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards. His 2020 album, Whither Must I Wander, with pianist Jonathan King, released on Odradek Records, was named one of the Chicago Tribune’s “best classical recordings of 2020” and BBC Music Magazine praised Liverman’s “firm, oaky baritone with a sharp interpretive attitude… admirable poise and clarity of intention.”

In 2019, Liverman made history as the first-ever Black Papageno in The Metropolitan Opera’s production of The Magic Flute. Other notable past performances include Malcolm Fleet in Nico Muhly’s Marnie at the Met Opera; Pantalone in The Love of Three Oranges at Opera Philadelphia; Silvio in Pagliacci at Opera Colorado; Schaunard in La bohème with the Santa Fe and Dallas Operas, and Opera Philadelphia; and The Pilot in The Little Prince with Tulsa Opera. Additionally, Liverman has performed the leading role of Figaro in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Seattle, Virginia, Kentucky, Madison, and Utah Operas. He originated the role of Dizzy Gillespie in Charlie Parker’s Yardbird with Opera Philadelphia, in addition to performing the role with English National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Madison Opera, and the Apollo Theater. Other highlights include the role of Tommy McIntyre in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of Fellow Travelers for its Lyric Unlimited initiative; Papageno in The Magic Flute with the Florentine and Central City Operas; his role debut as Marcello in La bohème with Portland Opera; his debut with Seattle Opera as Raimbaud in Le Comte Ory; Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia and Beaumarchais in The Ghosts of Versailles with Wolf Trap Opera; Andrew Hanley in the world premiere of Kevin Puts’ The Manchurian Candidate with Minnesota Opera; Sam in The Pirates of Penzance with Atlanta Opera; the Foreman at the Mill in Jenufa; and the Protestant Minister in Menotti’s The Last Savage with Santa Fe Opera.

Expanding into the concert repertoire, Liverman performed the title role in a concert version of the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and was a featured soloist in Brahms’ Requiem with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Handel’s Messiah with the Seattle Symphony, Carmina Burana with Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He was also featured in concert at Carnegie Hall, in addition to appearing in Schubert’s Die Winterreise at The Barns at Wolf Trap Opera.

Awards and achievements include receiving a 2022 Sphinx MPower Artist Grant, the 2020 Marian Anderson Vocal Award, a 2019 Richard Tucker Career Grant, and a 2019 Sphinx Medal of Excellence. In 2017 he received a 3Arts Award, a George London Award, and was recognized as a classical division Luminarts Fellow by the Luminarts Cultural Foundation. In 2015, he won the Stella Maris International Vocal Competition, the Gerda Lissner Charitable Fund Award, and a top prize from Opera Index.

Liverman concluded his tenure at the prestigious Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2015 and was previously a Young Artist at the Glimmerglass Festival. He holds his Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor of Music degree from Wheaton College in Illinois.

Please visit www.willliverman.com for more information.

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