FOR YOUR GRAMMY® CONSIDERATION
CLASSICAL SOLO VOCAL ALBUM
IN THIS SHORT LIFE
Devony Smith, Danny Zelibor, Michael Nicolas
Composers: Mark Adamo, B.E. Boykin, Eve Beglarian, Jennifer Higdon Jake Landau, David Lang, Will Liverman, Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg
Text: Maya Angelou, Emily Dickinson, Louise Gluck, Linda Pastan, Marge Piercy, Anne Sexton, Anne Spencer, Sara Teasdale, Tennessee Williams
"For mezzo-soprano Devony Smith and pianist Danny Zelibor, In This Short Life is not just a debut album — it’s the culmination of years of collaboration, trust, and a shared artistic mission.
The album features world and recording premieres by GRAMMY® Award winner Jennifer Higdon, Mark Adamo, David Lang, Eve Beglarian, B.E. Boykin, Jake Landau, Will Liverman, and Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg. Highlights include newly commissioned works setting the poetry of Harlem Renaissance icon Anne Spencer and Appalachian folk texts compiled by Jean Ritchie — marking the first time Spencer’s words have ever been set to and recorded in song.
Joining Smith and Zelibor is acclaimed cellist Michael Nicolas, bringing to life a vivid, all-American program celebrating the emotional depth, complexity, and relevance of contemporary art song.
TRACK LIST
Jake Landau, Sew My True Love (Jubilee)
A folk lyric collected by Jean Ritchie set to new, original music by Landau*
B.E. Boykin, Selections from Moments in Sonder - texts by Maya Angelou +
“A Conceit”
“Reverses”
“The Lesson”
David Lang, simple song #3 - text by David Lang ++
Jennifer Higdon, Little River Songs - text by Jennifer Higdon +
“Little River”
“Blue Smoke”
Eve Beglarian, from finish what i haven’t started
“only your dolls” - text by Anne Sexton +
Will Liverman, “For Jim, Easter Eve” - text by Anne Spencer *
Mark Adamo, The Racer’s Widow +
i. “Jump Cabling” - text by Linda Pastan
ii. “Across the Space (I)” - text by Tennessee Williams
iii. “Sentimental poem” - text by Marge Piercy
iv. “The Racer’s Widow” - text by Louise Gluck
v. “The Beloved” - from the poem by Sara Teasdale
Will Liverman, “Earth, I thank you” - text by Anne Spencer *
Jake Landau, “The Sake of You”
A folk lyric collected by Jean Ritchie set to new, original music by Landau*
Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg, An Hour of Forever - text by Emily Dickinson +
* World premiere recording
+ Recording premiere
++ Recording premiere of this arrangement
ARTIST BIOS
DEVONY SMITH
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Recognized for her “sensual” and “strong” voice (The New York Times), mezzo-soprano Devony Smith is a versatile performer with a wide-ranging repertoire in opera, concert, and contemporary music. She has premiered works by leading composers including Jennifer Higdon, Jake Landau, Eve Beglarian, and Luna Pearl Woolf, and recently sang the role of the Designer in Woolf’s Number Our Days at the Perelman Performing Arts Center. Smith has appeared with Opera Modesto, New York City Opera, Teatro Comunale di Narni, National Sawdust, the Albany Symphony, and Carnegie Hall, where she was an alto soloist in multiple major works. She holds a Sorel Fellowship and has performed in prestigious workshops with Marilyn Horne, Renée Fleming, and Graham Johnson.
DANNY ZELIBOR
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Praised for his sensitive and colorful playing, pianist Danny Zelibor is a sought-after collaborator and an ardent champion of art song. He has performed with artists including Harolyn Blackwell, Jarrett Ott, and Amanda Forsyth, with appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Carlyle Hotel, and as a fellow at Tanglewood. His debut CD on Toccata Classics featuring the piano music of Alexandre Tansman received acclaim from Gramophone and Fanfare. Zelibor has premiered works by Jake Heggie, Jennifer Higdon, David Lang, Eve Beglarian, and Matthew Ricketts, and frequently works with the Brooklyn Art Song Society, Caramoor, and the New York Festival of Song.
MICHAEL NICOLAS
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Cellist Michael Nicolas is a dynamic performer renowned for his versatility across styles. As a longtime member of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), he has premiered and championed countless works by living composers while maintaining a deep engagement with the classical repertoire. Nicolas has collaborated with artists across genres and is recognized for his precision, musicianship, and adventurous spirit, making him one of today’s most sought-after interpreters of new music.
ALBUM CREDITS
Executive Producer: Gillian Riesen
Producer: Jonathan Estabrooks
Recording Engineers: Chris Benham, M.P. Kuo
Mixing: Jonathan Estabrooks
Mastering Engineer: Alan Silverman
Additional Engineer (Tr. 1, 16): Caleb Schoberg
Recorded 10/30/2024-11/4/2024 at Second Story Sound, Manhattan. Additional recording at MAX Studios, Washington Heights.
LC2502
Release Date: June 13, 2025
© â„— 2025 Lexicon Classics. All rights reserved
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