Season 5, Episode 1 - Will Liverman, Baritone

American Baritone Will Liverman talks with Central City Opera Education Coordinator Meg Ozaki Graves about his experiences as a Black opera singer, how he's staying inspired during the pandemic and his thoughts on how arts organizations can move forward. Will was last seen at Central City Opera as Papageno in THE MAGIC FLUTE, 2018. Watch the video version of this interview on the new Opera Central series at centralcityopera.org. Learn more about Will Liverman, and follow his career at willliverman.com, on Facebook @WillLivermanBaritone and Instagram @Willie1525. Will was nothing short of iconic as an ostrich-mounted Papageno in Central City Opera's 2018 THE MAGIC FLUTE. Take a look at the magical production, dreamed out of a toy theater in a Victorian nursery, in photos and video. Read about Will's historical performance as the first-ever Black baritone to sing Papageno at the Metropolitan Opera last January on OperaWire.  The virtual concert discussed in this episode—"Will Liverman Live in Concert with Paul Sánchez" with Valhalla Media Live—is no longer available, but Will's albums and many other recordings are available on his website. Composers featured on his recital included Shawn E. Okpebholo, Robert Owens, Margaret Bonds and Damien Sneed. You can listen to Okpebholo's "Two Black Churches," referenced in the episode, on YouTube. Will is a versatile performer who excels in styles ranging from classic opera to popular music. One of our favorites is his arrangement of "Smile."  Finally, to all the other artists out there, Will Liverman has a message for you... LEARN YOUR MUSIC! He'll preach it to anyone who'll listen — if this doesn't inspire you, nothing will!