By JONATHAN WRIGHT
When Olivia Warfield graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1997, few people knew that she could sing.
She was best known as a track star, securing a track scholarship to Portland State University. But after diving into Portland’s karaoke scene and shaking off nervousness, LiV Warfield embarked on an award-winning musical career that has taken her all over the world.
LiV Warfield will sing for her hometown this month at Prairie Home Alliance Theater.
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Warfield released her first album in 2006. Three years later, she was tapped by Prince to join his group, the New Power Generation. She worked with the legendary artist for years while building her solo career, winning the 2014 Soul Train Music Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance. She started a rock ’n’ roll band with Heart’s Nancy Wilson. And you may have seen her on “America’s Got Talent,” where she earned the coveted Golden Buzzer but was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Her dynamic live show is often compared to Tina Turner, Etta James and James Brown, among others. She’s returned to Peoria several times, but this time, she’ll have an entire orchestra bringing her original numbers to life. “Liv’n It Up” will feature songs from throughout her career, including her 2019 album, “The Unexpected” (with its Prince-penned title track) and 2023’s “The Edge.”
Besides backing Warfield’s original numbers, the Peoria Symphony Orchestra will perform works by Ravel, Sibelius and Joan Tower, (including Tower’s “Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman,” dedicated to “women who take risks and who are adventurous.”)
Warfield has done just that throughout her career.
She likens the April 17 concert to a movie, referencing the theatricality of Prince’s classic “Sign O’ the Times” tour.
“I want people to feel the mood, feel the energy … what the violin is doing, what the harp is doing, what the percussion is doing. It’s all a story,” she said, adding that there’ll be some surprises. “We put a lot of work into this. I just want people to be inspired.”