William Warfield
Inducted in 2018
William Warfield was a faculty member in the School of Music from 1976 until 1990, when he retired as chair of the Voice Division. Warfield, a bass-baritone, was an internationally acclaimed performer who had a long and rich career. He sang “Ol’ Man River” in the 1950 film adaptation of the musical Showboat, performed as Porgy in the musical Porgy and Bess, made several tours with the U.S. State Department, and gave recitals in Carnegie Hall in 1950 and 1975. Performing on stages around the world, Warfield was dubbed “America’s Musical Ambassador.” Considered one of the world’s leading experts on black spirituals and German lieder, he won a Grammy in 1984 for his narration of Aaron Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait.