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Shawn Okpebholo Soars to New Heights with Songs in Flight
Cedille Records is thrilled to celebrate the early success of Songs in Flight, the latest album by acclaimed composer Shawn Okpebholo. This powerful album, released February 14 and produced by Okpebholo himself, has resonated deeply with audiences and critics alike, showcasing Okpebholo’s evocative musical storytelling. Joined by pianist Paul Sánchez, the album features stunning performances by world-renowned artists, including superstar Rhiannon Giddens, soprano Karen Slack, countertenor Reginald Mobley, and baritone Will Liverman, whose voices bring the music’s themes of resilience and freedom to life. Rave reviews are already pouring in, including one from BBC Music Magazine, which proclaimed the album its Editors’ Choral & Song Choice, with a double 5-star rating.
We hope the attention Songs in Flight is generating will add even more fuel to Okpebholo’s meteoric rise in the classical world as he earns widespread recognition for his unique compositional voice that bridges history, culture, and contemporary expression. Shawn was named a Chicagoan of the Year in Classical Music by the Chicago Tribune in December 2024. Later this year, he will receive a Goddard Lieberson Fellowship ― his second major award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters!
We hope this album will help generate more visibility, additional performances, and new commissions for Shawn Okpebholo and his work. We are grateful to those who helped make this album a reality including an Anonymous donor; the Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc.; the Aaron Copland Fund for Music; Wheaton College Aldeen and Global Research Grants; and the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Fund for Vocal Recordings at Cedille Records, with additional support from Queta and Ron Bauer, Linda and Owen Youngman, Dave Miller, and Maria and Peter Lagios.
Recommended
Cedille’s newest digital single, Mischa Zupko: Harpsichord Concerto is available to stream everywhere. Scored for harpsichord and string quartet, the concerto exhibits highly idiomatic harpsichord writing, brought brilliantly into the present by Zupko’s ingenious reshaping of older musical styles into a thoroughly modern expression.
From Chicago-based composter Stacy Garrop comes INVICTUS, Latin for “unconquered.” The work unfolds across four movements and an interlude, moving between lyrical introspection, fierce determination, and triumphant resolve, with Grammy-nominated pianist Marta Aznavoorian and the Chicago Philharmonic under the direction of Artistic Director Scott Speck. Available 5/8.
In honor of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we repromote our playlist of Cedille recordings of music by (almost all) American composers based on American themes — people, places, events, etc. — and add a few recent tracks that fit the theme (and bring the total to 50).
Enjoy Cedille’s Weekly Featured Release.