Warfield, William Caesar (1920-2002) | University of Illinois Archives

William Caesar Warfield (1920-2002) was an American concert bass-baritone. he was bron on January 22, 1920 in Helena, Arkansas, but grew up in Rochester, New York. He attended the Eastman School of Music for his undergraduate work. Prior to graduating in 1942, he joined the army, presenting his senior recital in military uniform. Following his service in WWII, he returned to Eastman to complete a masters degree in 1946. In 1952, Warfield performed in a US State Department sponsored European tour of Porgy and Bess. He married the co-star of this production, Leontyne Price, but the two would divorce in 1973.

Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Warfield had an impressive career as a performer. This included a premiere of Aaron Copland's Old American Songs in 1955, performances with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and performances with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. He also appeared as an actor on the Hallmark television production, "The Green Pastures," and "That's Entertainment!" 

In 1975 he accepted a faculty position at the University of Illinois, where he would later serve as chair of the Voice Department. In 1976, he recorded the narration for the University-sponsored film "From the Hearts of Men." In 1984, he won a Grammy award for his spoken word narrative of Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait, accompanied by the Eastman Philharmonia. He left the University of Illinois in 1994, accepting a position at Northwestern University. He would stay at Northwestern until his death in 2002.