The Department of Music and the William J. Cooper Foundation are scheduled to present an extraordinary vocal masterclass and recital with renowned baritone Roderick Williams as part of the College's yearlong Cooper Series. Recognized as one of the U.K.’s most sought-after baritones, Williams is celebrated for his versatility across opera, concert, and recital stages worldwide.

Williams will lead a vocal masterclass with students on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at 1 p.m. in Lang Concert Hall. The following evening, he will join acclaimed pianist Julius Drake for a recital on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, at 8 p.m. in Lang Concert Hall. Additionally, Drake will lead a chamber music masterclass for students on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at 1 p.m. in Lang Concert Hall.

This is Williams’ second visit to the College this academic year; in November, he joined the Swarthmore Chorus and Orchestra to debut a piece he’d written specially for the visit titled Cats In Airpumps!, and to perform as baritone soloist for Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs. 

With a career spanning leading roles at the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Dutch National Opera, and beyond, Williams has performed a vast repertoire from baroque to contemporary works. His extensive concert experience includes collaborations with premier orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and BBC Proms, where he was a featured soloist in the Last Night of the Proms.

As a recording artist and composer, his contributions to English song and contemporary classical music continue to shape the field. In 2016, he won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Singer of the Year award, and in June 2017 was awarded the title of OBE — Order of the British Empire — for services to music.

“I've been dreaming of bringing Roderick Williams to Swarthmore for years,” Senior Lecturer Andrew Hauze ’04 said prior to this visit in November. “He's one of my musical heroes: I feel that he is one of the greatest singers of our era, who is able to communicate the wide variety of music that he sings with incredible sincerity and beauty. He is also a marvelous and versatile composer, and a wonderful teacher and broadcaster about music.”

All events are free and open to the public.