Portrait of an Artist: Baritone VaShawn Savoy McIlwain In Black and White

Washington, DC may be known mostly for its occupant of a certain white manse at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but it is also home to a thriving community of performing artists. When I first met baritone VaShawn McIlwain, he looked like a nice young man with a brilliant smile. And then I heard him sing and it was like someone turned on every light in the room. There is a buoyancy to his delivery that draws you in, and a depth that keeps you there. This young man is an old soul and I can't wait to hear more from him.

VaShawn, photograph by Shannon Finney, Washington, DC, August 2013