Kurt Weill - In Search of Youkali (Katie Bray)

Information

Composer: Kurt Weill

1. A Glimpse of Youkali - An Improvisation
2. Barbarasong (from The Threepenny Opera)
3. Berlin im Licht
4. Overture to The Threepenny Opera
5. Surabaya Johnny (from Happy End)
6. A Vision of Youkali - An Improvisation
7. Complainte de la Seine ("Beauties of the Night" from the Torn Dress)
8. Je ne t’aime pas (from Marie Galante)
9. J’attends un navire (from Marie Galant)
10. A Dream of Youkali - An Improvisation
11. Buddy on the Nightshift (from Lunchtime Follies)
12. Nanna’s Lied
13. September Song (from Knickerbocker Holiday)
14. Apple Jack (from Huckleberry Finn)
15. A Premonition of Youkali - An Improvisation
16. Speak Low (from One Touch of Venus)
17. My Ship (from Lady in the Dark)
18. This Time Next Year (from Huckleberry Finn)
19. Youkali

Katie Bray, mezzo-soprano

Murray Grainger, accordion

Marianne Schofield, double bass

William Vann, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Chandos

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Winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, British mezzo-soprano Katie Bray is celebrated for her magnetic stage presence and luminous, expressive tone. Her album Youkali pays tribute to Kurt Weill, whose music has captivated her for over twenty years. The title song embodies Weill’s search for personal and artistic freedom after his exile from Nazi Germany, and its poignant themes of longing and belonging resonate deeply in contemporary times. Bray’s interpretations celebrate Weill’s transformative artistry while reflecting a universal pursuit of kindness, love, and peace, brought to life alongside a devoted ensemble of collaborators.

Katie Bray, born 1987 in Exeter, England, is a distinguished British mezzo-soprano renowned for her versatility in opera and recital. A graduate of the University of Manchester and the Royal Academy of Music—where she won the 2012 Principal’s Prize and First Prize in the Richard Lewis Singing Competition—Bray has built a dynamic international career. Her operatic roles include Mallika (Lakmé), Charlotte (Werther), Lazuli (L'Étoile), Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), and parts with English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Opera North, and Welsh National Opera. An accomplished recitalist, she has appeared at Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, and Oxford Lieder Festival, and contributed to recordings including Zemlinsky’s Opus 13 and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde.

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