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date = "2016-07-26T15:20:00-04:00"
discipline = "Baritone"
lastmod = "2016-07-26T15:20:00-04:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1630956506/media/2021/09/WillLivermanJaclynSimpson_jodx9w.jpg"
primary_image_credit = "Jacklyn Simpson"
publishDate = "2016-07-26T15:20:00-04:00"
related_companies = ["scene/companies/virginia-opera.md", "scene/companies/the-metropolitan-opera.md", "scene/companies/portland-opera.md", "scene/companies/utah-opera.md", "scene/companies/the-juilliard-school.md", "scene/companies/opera-philadelphia.md", "scene/companies/english-national-opera.md", "scene/companies/seattle-opera.md", "scene/companies/lyric-opera-of-chicago.md", "scene/companies/the-dallas-opera.md", "scene/companies/minnesota-opera.md", "scene/companies/wolf-trap-opera.md", "scene/companies/glimmerglass-festival.md"]
slug = "will-liverman"
title = "Will Liverman"
website = "http://www.willliverman.com/"
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url = "https://www.facebook.com/WillLivermanBaritone/"
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url = "https://www.instagram.com/willie1525/"

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Called “a voice for this historic moment” (_The Washington Post_), baritone Will Liverman continues to bring his compelling performances to audiences nationwide. He will star in the Metropolitan Opera’s reopening production of Terence Blanchard’s _Fire Shut Up in My Bones_ in fall 2021, in addition to reprising his roles in _Akhnaten_ (Horemhab) and _The Magic Flute_ (Papageno) during the Met’s 2021-2022 season.

Following a summer at Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Aspen Music Festival, additional highlights of Will’s 2021-2022 season include the reprisal of _Fire Shut Up in My Bones_ with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Florence Price’s _Song to the Dark Virgin_ with Chicago Sinfonietta, Jonathan Dove’s _Flight_ with The Dallas Opera, and Leonard Bernstein’s _Mass_ as part of a 50th Anniversary Celebration at The Kennedy Center.

In February 2021, Cedille Records released Will’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 Will’s own 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 claimed “velvet-voiced baritone Will Liverman is out to make the classical music canon more inclusive”. His album _Whither Must I Wander_ with pianist Jonathan King, out January 2020 on Odradek Records, was named one of the _Chicago Tribune_’s “best classical recordings of 2020” and _BBC Music Magazine_ praised Will’s “firm, oaky baritone with a sharp interpretive attitude… admirable poise and clarity of intention.”

Will’s recent engagements include performing as the first ever Black Papageno in The Metropolitan Opera’s holiday production of _The Magic Flute_, in addition to its premiere of Philip Glass’ _Akhnaten_ (Horemhab) and Nico Muhly’s _Marnie_ (Malcolm Fleet). He also recently appeared as Pantalone in _The Love of Three Oranges_ at Opera Philadelphia, as Silvio in _Pagliacci_ at Opera Colorado, as Schaunard in _La bohème_ with Santa Fe Opera, Dallas Opera and Opera Philadelphia; and as The Pilot in _The Little Prince_ with Tulsa Opera. His new opera _The Factotum_, written together with DJ/recording artist K. Rico, was workshopped by the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Ryan Opera Center in winter 2020. _The Factotum_, inspired by Rossini’s _The Barber of Seville_, takes place in a present-day Black barbershop in Chicago and combines operatic singing with hip-hop, barbershop, gospel, funk, neo soul, and R&B music.

Will Liverman has performed the leading role of Figaro in Rossini’s _Il barbiere di Siviglia_ with Seattle Opera, Virginia Opera, Kentucky Opera, Madison Opera and Utah Opera. 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 at 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 Florentine Opera and Central City Opera; 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 _Jenůfa_ and the Protestant Minister in Menotti’s _The Last Savage_ with Santa Fe Opera.

Expanding into the concert repertoire, Will 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, in Handel’s _Messiah_ with the Seattle Symphony, in _Carmina Burana_ with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and in Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He was also recently featured in the Sphinx Virtuosi concert at Carnegie Hall, in addition to appearing in Schubert’s _Die Winterreise_ at The Barns at Wolf Trap.

Will is the recipient of the 2020 Marian Anderson Vocal Award, as well as a recipient of a 2019 Richard Tucker Career Grant and Sphinx Medal of Excellence. Will Liverman has received a 2017 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, received the Gerda Lissner Charitable Fund Award, and received a top prize from Opera Index.

Will Liverman concluded his tenure at the prestigious Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2015. He previously was 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.ol, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Wheaton College in Illinois.