Voices: Songs by Richard Hageman

Renowned baritone Thomas Hampson considers Richard Hageman as “an American composer of the highest caliber [and] an important contributor to the arts in America” and yet Voices is the first album ever to be dedicated solely to Hageman’s songs. This album assembles more than two dozen of Hageman’s songs, the majority of which are world premier recordings.

A voice described as “one of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard” by the legendary Christa Ludwig, Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg was a member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 2013-2019, and has appeared as a celebrated guest artist in major roles at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dutch National Opera, Opernhaus Zurich, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Festival d’Aix en Provence among others. Equally in demand on the concert platform, Siobhan has worked with the Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Bayerische Rundfunk, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, BBC Symphony, Staatskapelle Berlin, and in recital has appeared at the Wigmore Hall and Pierre Boulez Saal Berlin.

South African pianist Nico de Villiers has performed as a concerto soloist and collaborative pianist at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre in London, the Terrace Theatre, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Kammermusiksaal, Bonn, and the Mozarteum Grosser Saal, Salzburg. Established as the authority on the life and music of Richard Hageman, Nico combines performances of Hageman’s music with scholarly research. His doctoral research was focused on Hageman’s songs and he published several articles, discussing Hageman’s songs and opera. Nico co-authored the groundbreaking critical biography Richard Hageman: From Holland to Hollywood (Peter Lang, 2020) with Kathryn Kalinak and Asing Walthaus.

This album is available in Stereo and 5.1 Channel Surround Sound DSD 256, DSD 128, DSD 64 and DXD plus Stereo DSD 512. It is not available on SACD.

Siobhan Stagg – Soprano
Nico de Villiers – Piano