Steven Blier always secretly knew he wanted to make music for a living, but says he didn’t get a lot of encouragement when he was young. “My father assumed I would be a doctor or a lawyer; he then got this idea I’d be an acoustician because I had a good ear.” But Blier, who earned his B.A. from Yale, where he majored in English literature, prevailed. He has carved out a career as an accompanist that has included recitals with singers ranging from Renée Fleming and Susan Graham to Samuel Ramey and Cecilia Bartoli. Blier is the casting consultant for New York City Opera and the artistic director of Caramoor's Vocal Rising Stars program. A Juilliard faculty member since 1992, Blier is also the artistic director and a co-founder of the New York Festival of Song, which will present its annual Juilliard concert on January 18. Read the interview.