Will Liverman
Will Liverman (born May 10, 1988) is an American operatic baritone, described by NPR as 'a new, exciting voice in the opera world'.[1] He has performed in several roles at the Metropolitan Opera.
Education
[edit]Liverman holds a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, where he was a student of Cynthia Hoffmann,[2] and a Bachelor of Music degree from Wheaton College in Illinois.
He is an alumnus of the Ryan Opera Center.[3]
Career
[edit]Opera
[edit]Liverman's major operatic appearances to date include playing Malcolm X in the Metropolitan Opera's 2023 production of X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X, music by Anthony Davis, libretto by Thulani Davis; the lead in the Metropolitan Opera's 2021 production of Fire Shut Up in My Bones. The production, which opened the 2021–2022 season, featured an all-black cast, and was the first opera by a black composer to be performed at the Metropolitan Opera.[4][5] Liverman retained the role in the 2022 Lyric Opera of Chicago production of the same opera.[6]
Composing
[edit]Liverman collaborated with DJ and recording artist K-Rico to create a non-traditional opera The Factotum. Inspired by Rossini's The Barber of Seville, it takes place in a barbershop in present-day Chicago. As well as operatic singing, The Factotum features gospel, R&B and hip hop music, among other genres. Liverman described the work as 'a celebration of being black'.[7][8]
Other work
[edit]Liverman's 2021 album, Dreams of a New Day: Songs by Black Composers, a collaboration with pianist Paul Sanchez, made it to number one on Billboard's Traditional Classical Albums chart. It has also been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.[9][10]
Norman Lebrecht, writing in The Critic, described his 'pleasure and affirmation' in listening to the album, and wrote: 'Liverman summons up a gamut of emotions and colours'.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ King, Noel. "Will Liverman 'Dreams Of A New Day' For Black Composers". npr.org. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "CONTENTdm". jmedia.juilliard.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
- ^ "Will Liverman". www.lyricopera.org. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Ross, Alex (11 October 2021). "The Tense, Turbulent Sounds of "Fire Shut Up in My Bones"". newyorker.com. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Salazar, David (28 September 2021). "Metropolitan Opera 2021-22 Review: Fire Shut Up in My Bones". operawire.com. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Jones, Chris (25 March 2022). "Review: 'Fire Shut Up in My Bones' at Lyric Opera is Terence Blanchard's groundbreaking work, full of joy and pain". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ "Creating The Factotum". lyricopera.org. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Siler, Brenda (7 November 2021). "Baritone Will Liverman Returns to Area Stage After Met Triumph". washingtoninformer.com/. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Cohn, Gabe (23 November 2021). "Grammy Awards 2022: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Winn, Steve. "Baritone Will Liverman's Dreams of a New Day Delivers Protest and Grace". sfcv.org. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Lebrecht, Norman (23 May 2021). "Dreams of a New Day: Songs by Black Composers (Cedille)". thecritic.co.uk/. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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