About FORD

Ford Livene is the Founder and Creative Director of One World Productions, an entertainment media company whose latest project, House of Orfeus, is scheduled for a world premiere at both New York’s Lincoln Center and Opera Carolina in 2024. He is also Principal Consultant for Branding, Marketing Strategy, and A&R (Artists and Repertoire) at Lune Rouge: a Montréal-based corporation started by Guy Laliberté, the founder and creative force behind Cirque du Soleil. Ford initially arrived at Lune Rouge as Managing Director of Marketing, Branding and A&R after having been Vice President and Head of Artists and Repertoire at Universal Music Group’s Verve Label Group (VLG), where he oversaw U.S. media and classical music and crossover artists, releases, and creative projects for Verve, Decca Gold, Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Mercury KX and Paragon, in addition to driving collaborations with artists signed to Republic, Interscope, Capitol, Warner, and Sony. In this role he also directly managed the Decca Gold and Paragon labels, for which he led global initiatives and partnerships. During his tenure at Universal, VLG earned an Oscar, a Golden Globe Award, 15 Grammy Awards, 24 Grammy nominations, and Billboard #1 rankings on multiple charts.

Ford joined Universal in early 2017 after having made a name for himself internationally as an artist and consultant. Prior to Universal, he was Co-Founder and Senior Director of Media and Communications at MATSTAT Consulting. In this position he led creative development and integrated marketing strategy for global clients including recording artists signed to Universal, Sony, Warner, and Live Nation; Target’s Community Initiatives; TED Talks; Gujarat Raffia LTD (NGO partnerships with United Nations, UNICEF, and American Red Cross); and Scallywag Productions (Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, Awards from Los Angeles Independent, Berlin, Chicago, London, and Serbian Film Festivals).

At age 3 Ford began his musical career as a classical piano prodigy, progressing to numerous other instruments, composing, and ultimately opera singing. Appearing under the name Nmon Ford, he has performed as a leading opera singer at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Hollywood Bowl, and throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. During his career as an artist, producer, and A&R executive, he has worked on albums that have garnered a total of 15 Grammy Awards (24 nominations), and he has recorded and/or executive produced for Universal (Decca, VLG, Deutsche Grammophon), Sony, Warner, Concord, Telarc, Naxos, and eOne.

In 2008 Ford joined Universal recording artists Vai DaCapo as lead singer/vocal arranger, eventually becoming the group’s first Director of Global Media. In the latter capacity he monitored production finances of nearly $2 million, managed international creative and business teams and external agencies, and negotiated labor and contract dispute resolutions. In addition, he created product development and marketing strategy for album and movie releases that charted on Billboard and iTunes. He also defined narrowcasting targets for broadcasts on U.S. Public Television, resulting in highest-rated primetime broadcasts in major markets. 

Ford earned his MBA in Marketing Management and Corporate Strategy and Entrepreneurship from California State University San Bernardino, and his Master of Music and Bachelor of Music—both with honors—from the University of Southern California, with additional studies in Journalism and Arts Administration. He is a Voting Member of the Recording Academy, and an active member of the USC Alumni Association, ASCAP, and the National Black MBA Association.