Grammy-Winning Baritone Lucas Meachem Releases First-Ever Solo Album, Shall We Gather
A Collection of American Art Songs Celebrating Resilience and Togetherness.
“There is much to enjoy in Lucas Meachem’s first solo album, ‘Shall We Gather,’ a plea for togetherness in a divided country. Meachem’s voice—a substantial and propulsive lyric baritone with pillowy edges—records beautifully.” The New Yorker
All Proceeds to Benefit the Meachem’s Perfect Day Music Foundation
With these songs, I hope to offer a bit of hope for what truly makes us come together: our belief in the good of humanity and love for our neighbor.
Lucas Meachem
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“There is much to enjoy in Lucas Meachem’s first solo album, ‘Shall We Gather,’ a plea for togetherness in a divided country. Meachem’s voice—a substantial and propulsive lyric baritone with pillowy edges—records beautifully.”
The New Yorker
All of the proceeds from Shall We Gather will go to the Meachems’ Perfect Day Music Foundation, a non-profit promoting diversity in classical music, to fund projects such as the Perfect Day Competition, which encourages young musicians to share through social media works by composers and poets who have been historically excluded.
“We gather to assert what unites us. In most of the songs presented here, observations about Americanness are implicit. Each lifts a particular moment, a facet of our collective character, highlighting our aspirations to resilience, care, humor, strength, justice, and so forth, the many qualities and beliefs that tie us together. That sentiment is made explicit by the first song on the album, Gene Scheer’s American Anthem. It asserts that what connects us as Americans is not some innate, unquestionable exceptionalism. Instead, we are gathered by a constant striving toward a more just and equal society, pursued through actions large and small. It is a gathering whose power is derived from its hopefulness and the commitment we make to ourselves to give our all to improve ourselves. And the warm embrace of that hopefulness is perhaps enough of a balm to tie us together until we can all gather safely and uncomplicatedly again.”
Dan Ruccia Composer and arts critic
First Single, Out Now!
Gene Scheer (arr. Lee Musiker) – American Anthem
Arthur Farwell – “Song of the Deathless Voice” from Three Indian Songs
William Grant Still (text by Leroy V. Brant) – Grief
Kurt Weill – “Beat! Beat! Drums!” from Four Walt Whitman Songs
John Musto (text by Langston Hughes) – “Litany” from Shadow of the Blues
Richard Hageman (text by Franklin P. Adams) – The Rich Man
Florence Price (text by Louise C. Wallace) – Night
Jake Heggie (text by Gene Scheer) – “That Moment On” from Pieces of 9/11 Listen Now: Spotify → | Apple Music →
Carrie Jacob-Bonds (arr. Irina Meachem/Steve White) – A Perfect Day
Traditional (arr. Steve White) – Oh, Shenandoah
Traditional (arr. Charles Ives) – In The Mornin’
Ricky Ian Gordon – We Will Always Walk Together
Stephen Foster – Hard Times Come Again No More
Aaron Copland – “The Boatman’s Dance” from Old American Songs
Aaron Copland (text by Robert Lowry) – “At The River” from Old American Songs
His baritone is an instrument of striking finish, smooth and solid throughout its range. He is a masterful musician.
Opera News
GRAMMY® Award-winning baritone Lucas Meachem, dubbed a “rock star of opera” by Opera Pulse, is renowned for his mastery of a wide variety of leading operatic roles, as well as the creation of new ones with his “earnest, appealing baritone” (The New York Times).
After a summer at Teatro Real, Meachem opens his 2024/2025 season with a featured recital alongside his wife, pianist Irina Meachem, at The Kennedy Center. He stars as Count di Luna in Houston Grand Opera’s production of Verdi’s Il trovatore before returning to the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona for Madama Butterfly and La traviata. Meachem will headline Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna with Daniel Oren conducting a production by Jacopo Spirei before closing his season with the world premiere of Filidei’s Il Nome Della Rosa at Teatro alla Scala where he performs the lead role of Guglielmo da Baskerville, conducted by Ingo Metzmacher. Summer 2025 brings performances as Marcello in San Francisco Opera’s La bohéme.
Lucas to Star in World Premiere of Il Nome della Rosa
Lucas is set to sing the lead role of Guglielmo da Baskerville in the world premiere of Il Nome della Rosa. This highly anticipated new opera, based on the famous novel The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, will debut at the prestigious Teatro alla Scala in Milano from April 27 to May 12, 2024. Lucas, known […]
HD Broadcast of Met Opera’s Madama Butterfly “lost none of its charm”
Lucas Meachem starred as Sharpless in Anthony Minghella’s production of Madama Butterfly at the Metropolitan Opera. The cast featured extraordinary soprano Asmik Grigorian in her American debut and American tenor Jonathan Tetelman as B.F. Pinkerton. Elizabeth DeShong rounded out the ensemble as Suzuki. Meachem was regarded as,
“Lucas Meachem was an exceptionally compelling Sharpless. Warmth and compassion radiated from Meachem as he attempted to break the news to Butterfly that Pinkerton was returning to divorce her. The baritone’s resonant voice made the scene even more poignant to witness.”
“Fabio-like in size, presence, beauty and personality. Mozart at his most seductive and charming.” – Bachtrack
Lucas’ season has officially begun in sunny Los Angeles. Don Giovanni at the Los Angeles Opera has taken off with a haunting spin and flashing lights. Kasper Holton created a spell-binding production and the cast is world-class with Isabel Leonard, Craig Colclough and Anthony Leon.
“strong and satisfying as ever.” | San Francisco Opera
For its 100th season, San Francisco Opera opened strongly with Madama Butterfly featuring Karah Son, Michael Fabiano, and Lucas Meachem. Some captivating reviews of Meachem’s performance: As the benign American consul Sharpless, a role that can often sound fuzzy and indistinct, baritone Lucas Meachem gave a superbly forward performance that made the character’s blend of virtue […]
Lucas Meachem “shines” in Fedora | Metropolitan Opera
It’s been 14 years since the Metropolitan Opera performed Giordano’s Fedora. This exquisite opera contains some of the most stunning music from its time and I was so privileged to step in and sing De Siriex. Dwayne Croft, one of my vocal heroes, performed it last and to humbly attempt to fill in the same shoes was an honor. The role was unknown to me — I had merely one week’s notice to learn and memorize it, yet when I entered rehearsals alongside a formidable cast and director in Sir David MacVicar, the character became clear to me and I was ready. Our Met HD broadcast was a musical triumph if I do say so myself. The orchestra under Maestro Marco Armiliato was superb in capturing the rich textures of the score. Sonya Yoncheva, Piotr Beczala, and Rosa Feola were a dream to sing with. Thank you for having me, New York.
“Meachem was a solid, dignified presence as De Siriex, a character who handles a fair amount of plot exposition, singing with handsome tone.” – Opera News
“In the midst of the dramatic turbulence, McVicar inserted some lighter, almost comic touches, all courtesy of Rosa Feola’s Olga and Lucas Meachem’s De Siriex.” “Physically and vocally commanding, Meachem sang of Russian women with aplomb in ”La donna russa è femmina due volte”. – Financial Times