BAEBLE SESSIONS: Ana Silvera at The Guest Apartment

A London-born but Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, Ana Silvera is a supremely talented artist, sporting the sort of musical upbringing that would intimidate most, if not all of her contemporaries. Trained in opera, Silvera spent her teenage years performing with the English National Opera, as well as appearing at the Royal Opera House. It's a background of supreme relevance, as her latest musical motivations, though steered in the vague direction of pop, embrace her classical training, with dramatic effect. Look no further than our latest segment of the Guest Apartment.

Awakening the sleeping soul of our beautiful, 1928 Steinway piano, Silvera prepared a graceful set of songs for her session with Baeble last October. Joined by cellist Noah Hoffeld, the two make for a lovely pairing, whisking aforementioned classical and popular elements together for a supremely satisfying, musical blend. "Home Town" (a track from her soon to be released album of the same name) is an obvious example...it's memorable vocal melodies carried aloft by rich pulls on the cello, and perfect quells of delicate ivory work. Trading the piano for the nylon strings of her classical guitar, Ana props inventive narratives onto an acoustic pedestal with "Letters to New York". These are but two of the four songs Silvera chose to perform here. The result is a stirring session; one that is touching, heart-felt, and technically impressive. - David Pitz