Lights, camera, NYFOS ✨🎬
Last night’s NYFOS Spring Gala, Hurray for Hollywood!, was a glamorous celebration of iconic songs from the silver screen and what a spectacular evening it was.
Swipe through for highlights from an unforgettable night of music, cocktails, dinner, and celebration with our incredible artists, supporters, and friends of NYFOS.
Featuring stunning performances by Julie Benko, Sophia Baete, Alex Mansoori, Jorell Williams, and Steven Blier, the evening brought Hollywood magic to Park Avenue with music by Stephen Sondheim, Burt Bacharach, The Beatles, and beloved classics from film history. 🎶⭐️
Thank you to everyone who joined us in support of another extraordinary NYFOS season and the power of live performance to bring people together. ❤️
📷: @ctsushima
#NYFOS #NYFOSGala #JulieBenko #StevenBlier #broadway
NOW STREAMING 🎶
“Sylvie”, the first single from ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ is out now from NYFOS Records.
Originally made famous by Lead Belly and later recorded by Harry Belafonte, this infectious folk song gets a vibrant new interpretation from the extraordinary artists of *My Brother’s Keeper*, a powerful celebration of brotherhood, community, and fellowship among Black men in America.
Featuring an all-star lineup including Joshua Blue, Will Liverman, Joseph Parrish, Alan Williams, Jorell Williams, Chaz’men Williams-Ali, and Steven Blier, *My Brother’s Keeper* blends art song, soul, gospel, opera, and folk into one unforgettable musical journey.
Listen to “Sylvie” now and pre-save the full album ahead of its May 28 release.
🔗 Link in bio
#NYFOS #MyBrothersKeeper #Sylvie #BlackArtists #NewMusicFriday
BROTHERLY LOVE | Swipe through and step inside the room where it all began 🎶✨
As the cast came together at @bliersteven apartment in November 2024, something powerful was taking shape—an electrifying celebration of brotherhood, artistry, and community.
Conceived by @justinmichaelaustin and brought to life with an extraordinary ensemble of Black male vocalists, this project weaves together art song, soul, gospel, and opera into one unforgettable experience.
From rehearsals to backstage moments, this gallery captures the energy, focus, and joy that fueled a truly triumphant concert—and now, a highly anticipated album arriving this May.
🎧 First listen coming soon: the debut single “Sylvie” drops next Friday on all streaming platforms.
Stay close. This is more than a performance, it’s a movement.
📷: @erickhercules
#MyBrothersKeeper #NYFOS #ClassicalMusic #BlackExcellence
“Hai già vinta la causa” is the Count’s realization that he’s losing...and he is NOT handling it well!
See Jorell Williams as Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro presented by Indianapolis Opera - opening May 1st!
The Marriage of Figaro - it’s messy, it’s dramatic, and it’s VERY satisfying.
🎟️ Use code TIMOTHEE20 for 20% off at indyopera.org!
🎭 The Marriage of Figaro
🗓️ May 1–3, 2026
📍 The Tobias Theater @newfieldstoday
#indyopera #indystage #indyarts #indianapolis #newfieldstoday
Opera, but it’s basically “everything goes wrong”… set to music. 🎶
Jorell Williams on why this opera still works - and honestly, he’s not wrong!
Look for the side glances. The near-misses. The chaos unfolding in real time. Add in some of the greatest music ever written, and you’ve got a night out you won’t forget. 😉
🎭 The Marriage of Figaro
🗓️ May 1–3, 2026
📍 The Tobias Theater @newfieldstoday
Get your tickets now at indyopera.org!
#indyopera #indystage #indyarts #indianapolis #newfieldstoday
Rehearsals are underway - and the Count is already causing trouble... 👀
Jorell Williams takes the stage as Count Almaviva, a man of status, confidence, and questionable decisions. Williams brings his “solid vocal core and easy, natural production” to a role full of ego, charm, and unraveling plans.
Because in this story… power doesn’t guarantee the outcome. 😉
Experience The Marriage of Figaro live May 1–3 at The Tobias Theater @newfieldstoday !
🎟️ Get your tickets today at indyopera.org!
✨ COVER REVEAL ✨
We’re proud to unveil the cover of “My Brother’s Keeper”, a powerful new release from New York Festival of Song, arriving May 29, 2026 on NYFOS Records.
A musical portrait of Black brotherhood, this extraordinary album brings together six of today’s leading Black male vocalists Joshua Blue, Chaz’men Williams-Ali, Will Liverman, Joseph Parrish, Jorell Williams, and Alan Williams—alongside pianist and NYFOS Artistic Director Steven Blier, in a deeply personal and resonant collection of songs.
Produced by Justin Austin, Steven Blier, and GRAMMY® nominated producer Jonathan Estabrooks, the album spans works from Margaret Bonds and William Grant Still to Brahms, Richard Rodgers, and original compositions by Jorell Williams—celebrating solidarity, resilience, and the profound power of mutual support.
First single, Huddie Ledbetter’s “Sylvie,” drops May 8. Stay tuned.
📷: @erickhercules
#NYFOS #MyBrothersKeeper #blackopera #BlackArtists
✨ We’re excited to welcome baritone Jorell Williams to this year’s NYFOS Gala! ✨
Hailed for his “rich-toned” voice and commanding stage presence, Jorell is one of today’s most versatile vocal artists—equally at home in opera, concert, and contemporary repertoire. Praised by The Washington Post as a “rock-solid singer,” he brings a rare blend of vocal power, emotional depth, and storytelling to every performance.
A frequent presence on major stages, highlights of his recent season include performances with leading opera companies across North America and Europe, as well as upcoming recordings including My Brother’s Keeper with New York Festival of Song Records.
Beyond the stage, Jorell is also an accomplished composer and collaborator, creating and arranging works for organizations including NYFOS and the Brooklyn Art Song Society—continuing to redefine what it means to be a modern classical artist.
Join us for “Easy to Love: NYFOS Does Cole Porter”—a dazzling evening of cocktails, dinner, and unforgettable performances celebrating the music of Cole Porter.
🎶 Don’t miss the chance to hear this extraordinary artist live, in support of NYFOS’s vibrant season of music and storytelling.
🔗 Learn more + reserve your seat: LINK IN BIO
#NYFOS #JorellWilliams #coleporter #NYCGala
@bbcmusicmag FEBRUARY ‘OPERA CHOICE’ award:
Recording Nadia Boulanger’s La Ville Morte meant stepping into something rare, complex, and daring. Opportunities to inhabit music like this are uncommon, as there’s no tradition to lean on, no template to follow. We built the work together, brick by brick, trusting the process and one another, hoping something honest would emerge. For me, the experience felt almost like a marital vow: in sickness and in health, with the former arriving soon after our unforgettable run in Athens.
This recording also carries deep personal meaning, as it was among the final projects of our beloved recording engineer, Adam Abehouse. Adam was an extraordinary artist and an even greater human being. Every project with him was guided by care, precision, and a belief that no detail was too small in service of the music. Our last conversation outside my dressing room door is one I will carry with me always.
Thank you, Sir Abe. #Legend 🕊️♥️
With live theater (which is the reality of this recording) there is the knowledge that every listener will have a completely different experience. The same phrase, the same harmony, can mean something entirely different depending on who’s listening and where they are in their life. In a career that can feel endlessly demanding, there’s something powerful about creating art that continues to breathe long after the final note. At the end of the day, if one person hears this piece and feels something tied to recognition, discomfort, tenderness, or memory, then that’s more than enough.
Grateful for the opportunity. Grateful for the process. Grateful to be part of the story. Thank you to my lovingly beautiful and familial colleagues @joshuadennistenor@_melissa_harvey_@laurierubin@bwindham96@guarino_robin@matthieucognet and the wonderful teams at @catapultopera@greeknationalopera@pentatonemusic@nealgoren@taleaensemble@nyuskirball
Let’s do it again sometime ⚡️❤️ 👑 🦉 🇬🇷
Happy Birthday to my wife 🎂☕️🚒😴
7 years married, and somehow you still tolerate me (emPHAsis on the “tolerate”), but i know that true love is real.
Our family currently survives on love, coffee, maple syrup, cheese, tissues for sneezes, and an insane amount of unmanaged chaos. I also promise to never suggest hide-and-seek again. Emma is TERRIBLE at hiding 😂 (Some lessons only need to be learned once.)
I am factoring in your legendary belief that balloons are mildly complicated, something our toddler will soon experience, supported by my video evidence 🎈👀
We love you more than breakfast foods. And honestly, that’s the highest compliment this household can give. IYKYK - Happy Birthday @mezzomarjogram ❤️
#WeAreFamily #Vintage
I’m not crying, I’m adjusting my glasses, ego, and dignity after walking face-first into a glass window yesterday. Another story for another day…
Three years ago, you fit in the nook of my arms. Today, your head is just above the table and you have very strong opinions about everything. You are joy, laughter, chaos, and the CEO of this household. You are loud feelings in a tiny body. And most importantly, you are the absolute center of our universe. You also sing in a Macy Gray husky vocal tone , but at least you sing in key THANK THE LORD (I’m convinced you have perfect pitch, just like your dad 😉).
We are better, softer, more tired, and deeply obsessed because of you. We love you more than words, baby girl. Happy Birthday, Emma Rose Williams 🎈💛 🎂
#BabyGirl #HappyBirthday #JeTaime
👏 Bravo to all! BBC Music Magazine @bbcmusicmag awarded its February ‘Opera Choice‘ to the new recording of Nadia Boulanger’s ‘La Ville Morte with Melissa Harvey @melissa_harvey_soprano Laurie Rubin, @joshuadennistenor Jorell Williams @jorellogram@taleaensemble and conducted by Neal Goren. Praising the performance for restoring a neglected work with depth and vitality, BBC Music Magazine wrote: “Neal Goren conducts the Talea Ensemble with unerring conviction. What might have been just musical archaeology becomes a living work.”.
La Ville Morte is out now to listen on all streaming platforms including @applemusic@spotify@amazonmusic and @qobuz and on CD!
@catapultopera@greeknationalopera #nadiaboulanger #opera #lostopera #classicalmusic
