Ryan De Ryke, baritone and Daniel Schlosberg, piano perform songs from the new Divine Art/Diversions CD “Myths and Accidents.” De Ryke and Schlosberg will present three songs cycles by Doug Lofstrom: All Must End, Myths and Accidents and Three Sandburg Songs, which will be a world premiere.

The artists have worked with the composer over the last several years to bring Lofstrom’s vocal works to fruition. The album presents the three song cycles along with Three Scenes from Lofstrom’s opera Two Soldiers, featuring De Ryke and Schlosberg as well as soprano Kimberly Jones, tenor Ryan Townsend Strand and a chamber orchestra conducted by the composer.

Ryan de Ryke, baritone, is an artist whose versatility and unique musical presence have made him increasingly in demand on both sides of the Atlantic. The Baltimore Sun hailed him as “a talent that seems to defy labels, he delivers a naturally beautiful sound that penetrates to one’s inner core.” His performance of Telemann’s Pimpinone in Haymarket Opera’s production was selected by the Chicago Tribune as one of the top ten classical concerts of 2019.

Pianist Daniel Schlosberg has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in numerous chamber music and new music concerts, has premiered Augusta Read Thomas’s Starlight Ribbons and given the US premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Calices with violinist Austin Wulliman. He has recorded for the Albany, Bridge, New World, Nimbus, Jacaranda and Permelia labels and is on the faculty of Notre Dame University.

Composer Doug Lofstrom has been performing and composing since the 1970’s, and his diverse scores and recordings reflect his ongoing involvement in jazz, folk, theater, dance and symphonic music. His works have been performed by numerous symphony orchestras; highlights of his work include scores for the Pittsburgh Ballet, Midwest Ballet and the New Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been on the music faculty of Columbia College Chicago since 1986, and founded and directed their New Music Ensemble from 2000 until 2016.