Erica Papillion-Posey & Clayton G. Williams to Bring SOULS OF THE SOIL to Lake Charles

Following a sold-out summer European tour, Erica Papillion-Posey, mezzo-soprano and Clayton G. Williams, baritone will perform their blockbuster concert series, Souls of the Soil, for the people of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The duo will present Souls of the Soil, a program that has been enjoyed by audiences throughout the United States and Europe this holiday season in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The concert will include sacred selections, African-American spirituals, and holiday favorites accompanied by pianists, Chester Daigle and Eleanor Elkins and violinist Jairus Daigle.

"Erica and I will perform beautiful sacred music from Handel's Messiah to precious spirituals such as "Go, tell it on the Mountain." Clayton G. Williams said when describing the repertoire programed for the concert. "I am very excited to celebrate my favorite holiday, Christmas, through song with the great people of Lake Charles, Louisiana."

The Knights of Columbus will host the performance on Friday, December 19, 2014 at 7:00pm at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church (5495 Elliot Rd., Lake Charles, Louisiana 70605). Tickets are free and the performance is open to the public. Join the artists for a meet and greet reception following the performance.

"We are so grateful to St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church and The Knights of Columbus for sponsoring the appearance of Souls of the Soil for the people of Lake Charles, Louisiana." Erica Papillion-Posey praised the host organizations. "St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church and The Knights of Columbus work tirelessly to promote the principles of charity, unity, and fraternity in the Lake Charles community."

For additional information on this event please visit www.smdpcatholic.com/events/souls-for-the-soil-concert.

For additional information about the artists of Souls of the Soil please visit www.epapillionposey.com/ and www.claytongwilliams.com/ .

Souls of the Soil: An American Recital Series is a collaboration featuring professional classical/opera singers: Erica Papillion-Posey, mezzo-soprano of Denver, Colorado and Clayton G. Williams, baritone of Manhattan, New York. After meeting, in 2011, during an opera festival in Siena, Italy these two artists have forged a wonderful, lasting friendship but share a love and devotion to the classical arts, which has propelled them into this endearing project- Souls of the Soil.

With rich, diverse backgrounds and cultures to pull from, Souls of the Soil is a musical concert offering two moving, powerful programs of arias from celebrated operas, sacred and secular art songs, beloved African American spirituals, memorable musical theatre selections and heart-warming jazz standards.

With previous and current schedules spanning the United States to Europe and beyond, Souls of the Soil has performed in some of the most breathtaking concert halls, opera houses, cathedrals, churches and private recital salons.

In 2013, mezzo-soprano Erica Papillion-Posey made her professional North American debut in what has become her signature role of Carmen, where she, ".... captured Carmen's slinky sexiness, radiating allure and trouble... She had the vocal power to sing a soft, seductive "Habanera" in a hall-filling, rounded voice, lingering over the phrases as the men in the square watched. She snapped off the Spanish-style ornaments of the "Seguidilla", and was especially compelling in the lower register, where Carmen's sultriness comes through..." [South Florida Classical Review]. After being hailed as, "... the best Carmen this city has seen in decades" [El Nuovo Herald] the Miami Lyric Opera has engaged Ms. Papillion-Posey for another performance of Carmen in November 2014.

Following sold out performances in Louisiana and Colorado, Ms. Papillion-Posey most recently embarked on a European recital tour entitled Souls of the Soil in collaboration with baritone, Clayton Graves Williams. The overwhelming popularity of the program, which features an eclectic array of American music, compelled the duo to schedule additional performances throughout Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, and New York during 2014.

In 2010, Ms. Papillion-Posey made her international operatic debut as Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica at the Tuscia Opera Festival, under the baton of maestro Stefano Vignati. The demand for her "wonderful voice... full of grace and sensuality" [El Nuevo Herald] and her fierce commitment to character keeps European audiences coming back for more. Memorable European performances include the title role of Carmen, the Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte both with the Tuscia Opera Festival, Annina in La Traviata with Teatro Kizmet Opera, and Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro with Siena Opera.

Stateside, Ms. Papillion-Posey's notable roles include her portrayal of Princess Akara in the world premiere of The Lady or the Tiger, an adaptation of Frank Stockton's beloved short story

by composers Cherise Leiter and Leanna Kirchoff. Ms. Papillion-Posey's "purely exciting and rich voice" [Arte & Musica Magazine] was also featured as Baba in The Medium, Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, and in the title role in The Rape of Lucretia.

A prolific concert artist and recitalist, Ms. Papillion-Posey's repertoire includes performances of Handel's Messiah, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater under the direction of Timothy Léon in Tarquinia, Civita di Bagnoregio, Castilione, Capranica and Ronciglione in addition to several solo recitals.

Most recently, Ms. Papillion-Posey was named a semi-finalist in the Paris Opera Awards. Last year, Ms. Papillion-Posey was named a Continuo Arts, Milton Cross Young Artists Winner after being named the organization's Rising Star Young Artists Winner in 2012. Other accolades and awards include first and second place winner of the Vocal Arts Competition of Colorado, respectively in 2005 and 2006, International Lyric Academy of Rome e Viterbo Award, AMICI of Denver Scholarship, Dante Alighieri Music Scholarship Competition, Jeff Bradley Music Scholarship Fund, E. Stoddard Young Endowment Scholarship, Stratton Faulhaber Scholarship, Coulter Norbloom Scholarship Grant and Joseph Docksey Career Development Fund Award.

Ms. Papillion-Posey earned a Master of Music degree and Advanced Certificate in Vocal Performance (both with honors and distinction) from the University of Denver, Lamont School of Music. She also holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Metropolitan University of Denver. She currently studies with renowned mezzo- soprano Grace Bumbry.

Learn more about Erica at www.ericapapillion-posey.com.

Rising young artist, Clayton G. Williams, a New York based baritone performing in opera, musical theatre, concert and recital is ready to return to his roots of gospel and African-American spirituals. Williams is scheduled to perform in a 2015 concert, which will feature the world premiere of spiritual arrangements by Stacy Gibbs, soon to be published in a collection of African American Spirituals for the solo voice.

On the opera stage, Williams' most recent operatic role was Porgy in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess at the Siena Summer Music Festival. Other roles include Bartolo and Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and Bunthrone in Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience. Selected to perform two opera festivals in Siena, Williams performed several concerts throughout Siena, Italy.

Equally at home as a soloist in both concert and recital, Williams' credits include the Baritone Soloist in Handel's Messiah, Bizet's Agnus Dei, Mozart's Missa Brevis in C, K. 220 and performing in the chorus of Faure's Requiem in 2010 at Carnegie Hall.

This summer, Williams performed in a European recital tour, Souls of the Soil, in collaboration with mezzo-soprano, Erica Papillion-Posey. The overwhelming popularity of the program, which highlights an eclectic array of American music, compelled the duo to schedule additional performances throughout Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, and New York throughout 2014.

As a versatile musician, Williams is also a talented musical theatre performer most recently featured as Jorell in an Irving Berlin revue entitled Coming to America at the Manhattan School of Music Summer Voice Festival. Other credits include Broadway Babies, which was comprised of scenes from Gershwin's Shall We Dance, and Musilda, a parody of the musical based on Ronald Dahl's beloved book.

Williams has been recognized with the Emerging Talent Award in the Lotte Lenya Competition and was also a recipient of the Brazeal W. Dennard Scholarship, Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholarship, and a regional winner of the NBA Gold-Standard Scholarship during its inaugural year, and is a member of the Mu Beta Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, Inc.

A Detroit native, Williams attended the Detroit School of the Fine and Performing Arts and earned a Bachelor of the Arts in Music from Winston-Salem State University. Williams holds a Master of Music from Manhattan School of Music. He currently studies with Dr. Gregory Hopkins.

Learn more about Clayton G. Williams at: www.claytongwilliams.com.

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