Welcome To My World, Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone Mark Steven Doss’s debut recording for Cedille Records, is a solo vocal recital showcasing Doss’s extraordinary career and artistic versatility. This recording represents a rich and varied musical experience, reflecting Doss’s range as a performer.

Mark Steven Doss has graced the stages of over 60 major international opera companies in more than 100 operatic roles.

This album celebrates the success of the renowned Bel Canto Foundation, of whose annual competition Doss was the 1985 Grand Prize Winner. With the support of the Foundation, Doss had the opportunity to study with legendary tenor Carlo Bergonzi and embark on a continuing major international operatic career that has already spanned four decades.

Doss is joined on this album by celebrated pianist Ken Smith, who has also made significant contributions to the Bel Canto Foundation, including playing for the Foundation’s annual competition and serving as the principal coach for its seminars.

The album begins with music inspired by Goethe’s Faust by Berlioz, Beethoven, Mussorgsky, Boito, and Gounod, followed by iconic opera arias from composers such as Bizet, Handel, Mozart, Rossini, and Giordano. The album further explores three popular Neapolitan songs – in which Doss is joined by accordionist Stas Venglevski – followed by selections from music dramas by Weill and Gruenberg, as well as spirituals and songs of faith.

Doss pays tribute to trailblazing Black baritone Todd Duncan, who was one of the first Black singers to perform with a major opera company, notably originating the role of Porgy in Porgy and Bess. In an homage to Duncan, Doss performs three songs from Kurt Weill’s opera Lost in the Stars, for which Duncan had originated the lead role of Stephen Kumalo.

Additionally, Doss includes an aria from Louis Gruenberg’s opera The Emperor Jones, which originally featured black-face during its Metropolitan Opera premiere in 1933, highlighting the racial complexities of the era. Transcending this historical context, Doss fearlessly embraces the aria, showcasing his dramatic skills and precise articulation to capture its profound impact.

Cedille Records continues and immortalises the Bel Canto Foundation’s tradition of supporting Chicago vocal talent with this release.

The album was produced by the Grammy-winning team of James Ginsburg and engineer Bill Maylone, and recorded on 28–30 November 2022 at the Sasha and Eugene Jarvis Opera Hall at DePaul University (Chicago, IL).

This album is made possible in part by the generous support of the Bel Canto Foundation and its patrons and is also supported by the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Fund for Vocal Recordings at Cedille Records.