Vienna Live

Kenneth Overton: The Living Spiritual

Written by Vienna Live with Simeon Morrow | Jan 23, 2026 6:18:59 PM

Baritone Kenneth Overton poses for a portrait performs in Spring, 2025

NEW YORK CITY: Opera lovers are likely to be acquainted with the energetically-expressive baritone of Grammy® winner Kenneth Overton.  What few might suspect is how aptly Overton navigates a much more intimate form, the piano-voice duo.  On The Living Spiritual, Overton performs 23 spirituals arranged by 23 living Black composers, accompanied by pianist Elizabeth G. Hill and strings.

One would expect this album to be eclectic, but the composers exceptionlessly chose to preserve the vibrant essence of the spiritual as a genre. The synergy between Overton, Hill and strings is unmatched: these pieces brim with life and emotion, impressively expressed with one human voice, one piano and strings.

Let’s discover the spiritual!