to be seen

Michael Banwarth, Travon D. Walker

LC2610 - 10/16/2026

Travon D. Walker, tenor; Michael Banwarth, piano

Producer: Jonathan Estabrooks
Associate Producer: Maria Valdes

Engineer/Mixed/Mastered: Sam Genualdi
Design: Leslie Schott at Disc Makers Design Studio, Pennsauken, NJ

Photography: Robert Tichy
Recorded February 16,17, 25 & 26, 2026 at Nichols Concert Hall at The Music Institute of Chicago

PROGRAM NOTE

In all the discussion that took place regarding programming for this album, there was really no iteration that didn’t involve Liederkreis, op. 39. The cycle makes a natural marriage with Travon’s voice, and Robert Schumann has long been a love of mine both in his pianistic and vocal mediums. As we dove into the text it was constantly surprising just how modern and pertinent the themes are, as is true of so much of the best art.

It is a great pleasure to bring the rarely-if-ever heard Paroles de l’absent of Caplet (a discovery of Travon’s) into this program, with his ravishing use of texture in the piano, and beautiful mixture of parlando and long line for the voice. I hope that these pieces might some day earn a greater place in the vocal repertory…they deserve to stand alongside other wonderful works of French mélodie.

A word about our final, titular cycle: the process of creating an original piece for the album has been equally daunting and rewarding. It renders the project as intimate as possible, and allows us to participate in the perpetuation of the art song as a form; this feels important, not necessarily because our voices deserve so singularly to be heard, but because classical music has always been quite as much about the music of the moment as the music of the past. to be seen began with Travon sending me several incredibly raw and real snippets of poetry that he had written in the past, followed by more writing crafted specifically for the cycle. There is something so immediate, so direct and starkly human about Travon’s process that made finding the musical vernacular of the cycle, while it is somewhat diverse in tonal and stylistic vocabulary, remarkably intuitive.

I have loved playing American standards for time out of mind, so I'm mildly ashamed to admit that when Travon suggested we program Skylark for a completely different project I wasn’t yet familiar with the tune. But I fell head-over-heels for this simple, bittersweet song as we put the arrangement together, and we agreed quite organically that it would be the perfect way to draw together the previous three cycles and conclude the album.

(For more information on the texts and their translations, please access this link.)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This project has been in the works for some time and could never have successfully made the pilgrimage from imagination to reality without the support and vision of so many people. We are deeply indebted to Sam Genualdi for his work engineering, mixing and mastering, and bringing so much creative direction and spark to every track of the album. Working with Sam has been a dream, from his attention to detail to the way he listens outside the constraints of genre or the expectations of what a “classical vocal album” should sound like, while honoring the rich history of this music. Many thanks to Craig Terry, who heard this program in its many permutations, most importantly throughout our entire recording process. Craig has a way of helping any performer to discover the most human and therefore magical moments in performance, and that singular musical instinct certainly found its way into this project. Thanks as well to Julia Faulkner for her time and dedication to helping us hone our artistic vision; her attention to detail and consummate understanding of how the voice works across mediums are only eclipsed by the warmth she brings into the recording booth or rehearsal room. We acknowledge the support of the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago both artistically and financially, made possible by the generosity of the Ryan Center Board, and many supporters of Lyric and the arts in Chicago. It was wonderful to record in the acoustic marvel that is Nichols Hall at the Music Institute of Chicago in Evanston, as this project is in so many ways the fruit of three years of our musical lives spent in this incredible city.

TRACK LIST

Liederkreis, op. 39: No.1. In der Fremde
Liederkreis, op. 39: No. 2. Intermezzo
Liederkreis, op. 39: No. 3. Waldesgespräch
Liederkreis, op. 39: No. 4. Die Stille
Liederkreis, op. 39: No. 5. Mondnacht
Liederkreis, op. 39: No. 6. Schöne Fremde
Liederkreis, op. 39: No. 7. Auf einer Burg
Liederkreis, op. 39: No. 8. In der Fremde II
Liederkreis, op. 39: No. 9. Wehmut
Liederkreis, op. 39: No. 10. Zwielicht
Liederkreis, op. 39: No. 11. Im Walde
Liederkreis, op. 39: No. 12. Frühlingsnacht
Paroles à l’absente: Ce sable fin et fuyant…
Paroles à l’absente: Angoisse
Paroles à l’absente: Préludes
to be seen: live oaks and pines
to be seen: how it starts
to be seen: offerings
to be seen: in this room
to be seen: i want...
to be seen: on this dance floor
to be seen: something tells me
Skylark