Steven Blier & Darius de Haas Hold Concert for Launch of QUIET PLEASE CD, 4/28

In celebration of their brand new recording, Quiet Please, renowned musician Steven Blier and celebrated vocalist Darius de Haas will present a special concert, featuring selections from the CD. The one night only event will take place on Thursday, April 28th at 8pm in the Merkin Concert Hall, located within The Kaufman Center (129 West 67th St.). Tickets, ($22 for orchestra, $18 for balcony, $11 for student/senior), can be obtained by calling 212 501 3330, or by visiting www.kaufman-center.org.

Quiet Please features an array of tunes from the Great American Songbook, as well as contemporary pop and beloved jazz standards. Tunes included in the evening range from George Gershwin's "I've Got a Crush on You," and Richard Rodgers' "Glad to Be Unhappy," to Stevie Wonder's "If It's Magic," and Adam Guettel's "Hero and Leander." Blier and de Haas have been working together musically for ten years, having met through Blier's organization, The New York Festival of Song, a beloved NYC institution. The new recording is produced by Jamie Bernstein (writer, producer and daughter of Leonard Bernstein), and Harold Chambers (formerly a producer at WQXR).

Steven Blier is the Artistic Director of the New York Festival of Song (NYFOS). Since the Festival's inception, he has programmed, performed, translated and annotated over 125 vocal recitals spanning five centuries of vocal music embracing art song, popular song and vocal chamber music from North and South America, Europe, Scandinavia and Russia. He also enjoys an eminent career as an accompanist and vocal coach. Among the many artists with whom he has shared the stage: Renee Fleming, Frederica von Stade, Jessye Norman and Samuel Ramey. An enthusiastic advocate of American Song, he has premiered works by Ned Rorem, John Corigliano and William Bolcom among others. Mr. Blier is on the faculty of the Julliard School and his teaching has led to partnerships with some of todays most exciting concert singers. He is also a Grammy winning recording artist (having won for his performance on Leonard Bernstein's "Arias and Barcaroles"). His writings on opera have been featured in recent issues of Opera News and The Yale Review.

Darius de Haas enjoys a multifaceted career as an award-winning singer and actor. His Broadway credits include Kiss Of The Spiderwoman, Carousel, Rent, The Gershwins' Fascinating Rhythm, Marie Christine, and the Actor's Fund concert stagings of Hair and Dreamgirls. Other notable theater credits are the premiere productions of Children of Eden (Papermill Playhouse), the title role in the Pulitzer-nominated Running Man (Obie Award), The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin (Playwright's Horizons), Saturn Returns (Public Theater) and Jesus Christ Superstar Gospel (Alliance Theater). He is featured on numerous recordings including his award winning solo debut "Day Dream: Variations On Strayhorn" and his most recent release, "Quiet Please" with renowned pianist Steven Blier. Recent performances include Carnegie Hall w/ Marin Alsop, Disney Concert Hall w/ The Los Angeles Master Chorale, The Kennedy Center, NBC's Today Show, plus numerous symphonies, music festivals and clubs around the world. www.dariusdehaas.com

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