Stephen Powell: American Composers At Play

Baritone Stephen Powell is a revered veteran of the world's opera stages, but in his debut solo album American Composers At Play, he brings his powerful voice to the intimate medium of art song – performing works by four living American composers (William Bolcom, Ricky Ian Gordon, Lori Laitman, and John Musto, all of whom accompany Stephen on the piano).

Joining Stephen and his eminent roster of composer/pianists are an equally eminent group of collaborators: guitarist Jason Vieaux, clarinetist Charles Neidich, and the Attacca Quartet. In this conversation with WGTE's Brad Cresswell, Stephen gives us a behind-the-scenes tour of this distinctly American album, and makes a compelling case for why art song remains such an important part of the musical literature.

Photo credit: Sue Reno. Please note: due to copyright, musical selections have been truncated in this podcast version. You can find more info about the album and its music here: https://stephenpowell.us/recordings