Danny and I began working together after meeting fresh out of conservatory at a house party on the Upper West Side – but our friendship and collaboration was solidified in December 2019 during a holiday recital at the Caramoor Center for the Arts. I woke up that morning with laryngitis and a four-note range, which left me no choice but to make Danny fill in. And so he played - and sang - Christmas carols (Santa Baby stands out in my mind), while I mouthed the words in horror to a wide-eyed audience.

You won’t find Santa Baby on here, but In This Short Life embodies much of the work we’ve done together since. The inspiration for this album was born—again on the Upper West Side—not long after I debuted Jennifer Higdon’s Little River Songs with Lyric Fest in Philadelphia and Danny performed Mark Adamo’s The Racer’s Widow. Both works are scored for mezzo, cello, and piano, so we began to dream that maybe these pieces could be the foundation of an album…

The rest of the music seemed to land directly in our path. We’ve been so grateful to work with so many brilliant composers who generously offered their music and made this project what it is. We commissioned four songs from Will Liverman and Jake Landau: Jake's pieces draw on folk texts compiled by Jean Ritchie, while Will sets the text of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer. This is the first time Anne Spencer’s words have been recorded in song.

In This Short Life would not have happened without Michael Nicolas, whose playing bends with the variety of sounds on the album. His precision, musicianship, and enthusiasm for contemporary music is evident in every note. We could not have hoped for a better team member.

We owe this project to the incredible support of our donors. This was a grassroots effort, and we’re so thankful to all of you that helped make it possible.

That night on the UWS, we reflected on what defines the American sound in classical music. There’s no single answer—but we believe this album adds to the conversation. We hope you enjoy it.