Angela Brown
Encyclopedia
Angela M. Brown is an African-American
dramatic soprano
particularly admired for her portrayal of Verdi heroines.
, Indiana
. Her mother, Freddie Mae Brown, was a painter, and her father, Walter Clyde Brown, was an autoworker at a Chrysler
plant in Indianapolis for 41 years. Along with older brother George and younger brother Aaron, Brown was raised in a deeply spiritual Baptist household. Her grandfather was a Baptist
minister in the city and Brown started singing at his church when she was 5 years old. Brown credits her musical experiences at church as instilling in her a love for singing.
As a teenager, Brown started performing in R&B bands around Indianapolis and was highly active in the vocal music program at Crispus Attucks High School
. Her highschool choir director, Robert Fleck, taught Brown her first classical arias and entered her in several local music competitions, all of which Brown won. Brown also participated in her highschool's musicals, playing Adelaide in Guys and Dolls among other roles.
After highschool, Brown attended a community college in Indianapolis part time while working a day job as a dietary aide at a Methodist Hospital. She also acted in several musicals at the pro-am Civic Theater where she got to work with several notable performers including Ginger Rogers
. Brown also worked as a singing waitress for a time.
The death of her younger brother led Brown, then 20, to re-examine her faith and join the Seventh-day Adventist Church
with intent to become a singing evangelist. To that end, in the fall of 1986, at the age of 21, Brown enrolled at Oakwood College
planning to major in biblical studies with a minor in music. Brown subsequently changed her major to music, however, after her voice teacher, Ginger Beazley, convinced her to pursue opera singing instead. Brown received a bachelor's degree in the Spring of 1991.
From 1992 to 1997, Brown continued her studies at the Jacobs School of Music
at Indiana University
with noted voice teacher Virginia Zeani
. Brown had worked frequently with Zeani while at Oakwood College, as Ginger Beazley took Brown and her other students up to IU to participate in Zeani's master classes.
While in graduate school, Brown began competing in several notable music competitions. In 1994 Brown tried out for the National Council Auditions of New York's Metropolitan Opera
. She made it as far as the regional finals but proceedd no further. She tried out two more years in a row, only to twice more be stopped at the regional level. She tried one more last time in 1997. "I had nothing to lose," she told the New York Times. Instead, she won everything, not only the regionals, but also the semi-finals and then the finals. The win bought her entry into the world of professional opera.
Brown has since gone on to win the 2000 Richard Tucker Career Grant, a 1998 Sullivan Foundation Grant, the 1998 G.B. Viotti Verdi Vocal Competition, and the 1998 Opera Carolina Competition.
and began performing in a steady stream of small roles with larger opera companies and larger roles with smaller opera companies over the next several years. She also appeared in concerts with good regional orchestras and gave many recitals.
In the 2000-2001 season, Brown performed with the San Antonio Symphony
, Teatro La Fenice, as Serena in Porgy and Bess
with Opera Company of Philadelphia
, and gave several recitals. She also began working for the Metropolitan Opera
as a cover artist for the title roles of Verdi's Aida
and Strauss
' Ariadne auf Naxos
. This was followed by cover work for the company for the next three seasons.
In the 2001-2002 season, Brown appeared as the Fourth Maid in Cincinnati Opera
's production of Strauss
' Elektra
.
In the 2002-2003 season, Brown performed at the Kimmel Center with the Philadelphia Orchestra
for the September 11 Memorial Concert, return trips to the Metropolitan Opera
to cover the roles of Aida and Ariadne, covering Leonora in Il Trovatore
for San Francisco Opera
, performances of Richard Strauss
’ Four Last Songs with the El Paso Symphony and Muncie Symphony Orchestras, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.
In the 2003-2004 season, Brown performed the roles of Elisabetta in Verdi's Don Carlo and Leonora in Verdi's Il Trovatore
for the Opera Company of Philadelphia
, the title role in Verdi's Aida
for Shaker Mountain Opera, and the role of Cassandra in Taneyev
's Agamemnon
with the Manhattan Philharmonic and the Aquila Theater Company which toured Poland
and was performed at her Carnegie Hall
debut . She also performed a concert of Strauss and Wagner arias with the Auckland Philharmonia, was a soloist in Verdi's Requiem
with the Louisville Orchestra
, and a soloist with the Gibraltar Philharmonic. In addition, Brown made an unexpected appearance with the Opera Company of Philadelphia
when she filled in at the last minute in the title role of Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos
. Brown also filled in for an ailing singer for an orchestra rehearsal of Aida
at the Metropolitan Opera
. The company was so impressed with her work, they immediately called Brown's agent and booked her for two performances of Aida and 12 cover performances for the next season.
In the 2004-2005 season, Brown made her critically acclaimed debut at the Metropolitan Opera
in the title role of Verdi's Aida
. Her performance was so well received that an article about her appeared on the front page of the New York Times on November 8, 2004. Originally she was not scheduled that night to sing, as she had already sung two performances in the scheduled run of Aida and covering the role for the remainder of the run, but she was called to replace the ailing lead that night. Opera News stated of her performance "one of America’s most promising Verdi sopranos". In addition, Brown sang the role of Aida for Opera Company of Philadelphia
and followed that with the world premiere of Margaret Garner
, a new opera by Richard Danielpour
and Toni Morrison
, in the role of Cilla for Michigan Opera Theatre
and Cincinnati Opera
. She also appeared as a guest soloist in a concert of opera arias for Auckland Philharmonia (New Zealand) and Dayton Opera
.
In the 2005-2006 season, Brown performed the role of Amelia in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera
and the role of Cilla in Margaret Garner
for the Opera Company of Philadelphia
, the title role in Verdi's Aida
for Opera Pacific
and Florentine Opera
, Verdi's Requiem
for the Festival of Saint Denis in France
, concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony and Brevard Festival Orchestra, and recitals throughout the United States.
In the 2006-2007 season, Brown made her debut with Opéra National de Paris as Amelia in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera
, sang the title role of Verdi's Aida
with Florida Grand Opera
for the opening the new Carnival Performing Arts Center, and sang the role of Bess in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
for both Opera Pacific
to open the new Orange County Performing Arts Center
and the Opera Company of Philadelphia
to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Academy of Music
.
In the 2007-2008 season, Brown sang the title role of Aida
and the role of Amelia in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera
at the Metropolitan Opera
. She was also chosen by The Library of Congress as the featured soloist for the 2008-2009 National Celebration of the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln
in February. In addition, Brown sang in concert at Dayton Opera
, performed with the Indianapolis Symphony, sang Aida with Opera de la ABAO, the title role in Puccini's Tosca
with Florida Grand Opera
, and gave her first appearance in the role of Leonora in a concert version of La Forza del Destino
with James Conlon
for the Cincinnati May Festival
. This summer Brown will perform Verdi's Requiem with the National Symphony of Spain in Madrid
, give a concert of sacred repertoire at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
in Auckland, New Zealand, and will be the featured performer at the NAACP's national conference in July 2008.
In the 2008-2009 season, Brown sang Aida for Cape Town Opera
in South Africa
and for the Latvian National Symphony in Riga
. She celebrated Christmas with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra
in Alabama
and the Southwest Michigan Symphony. In addition, she sang Aida at her debut with the Deutsche Oper Berlin
, Leonora in Il Trovatore
for her debut with Atlanta Opera, Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera
for National Opera of Paris, and Elisabetta in Don Carlo for Cincinnati Opera
, and performed Verdi's Requiem in Barcelona
.
Brown has also performed roles with the Indianapolis Opera
.
She has performed in concert with the San Antonio Symphony
, Tulsa Philharmonic
, Indianapolis Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Brevard Festival Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony, Long Island Philharmonic
, Asheville Lyric Opera
's 10th Anniversary GalaHendersonville Symphony, Chautauqua Institution
, the Kennedy Center's 25th Anniversary Celebration, Chicago Sinfonietta
, The Joy of Music Television Series and tours throughout United States, Canada, New Zealand, Italy, and Africa.
She has given recitals in such places as Alice Tully Hall
and Carnegie Hall
.
and uses her voice to bring awareness of opera
to minority audiences, communities and diverse young audiences. Since 2002, she has frequently given free concerts entitled Opera...from A Sistah's Point of View with fellow opera singer Kishna Davis to help every day people connect with opera.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dramatic soprano
Dramatic soprano
A dramatic soprano is an operatic soprano with a powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over, or cut through, a full orchestra. Thicker vocal folds in dramatic voices usually mean less agility than lighter voices but a sustained, fuller sound. Usually this voice has a lower tessitura than...
particularly admired for her portrayal of Verdi heroines.
Early life and education
Angela Brown was born in 1964 in IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Her mother, Freddie Mae Brown, was a painter, and her father, Walter Clyde Brown, was an autoworker at a Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
plant in Indianapolis for 41 years. Along with older brother George and younger brother Aaron, Brown was raised in a deeply spiritual Baptist household. Her grandfather was a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister in the city and Brown started singing at his church when she was 5 years old. Brown credits her musical experiences at church as instilling in her a love for singing.
As a teenager, Brown started performing in R&B bands around Indianapolis and was highly active in the vocal music program at Crispus Attucks High School
Crispus Attucks High School
Crispus Attucks High School of Indianapolis Public Schools in Indianapolis, Indiana is named for Crispus Attucks , a black laborer killed at the Boston Massacre whom many regarded as a revolutionary leader...
. Her highschool choir director, Robert Fleck, taught Brown her first classical arias and entered her in several local music competitions, all of which Brown won. Brown also participated in her highschool's musicals, playing Adelaide in Guys and Dolls among other roles.
After highschool, Brown attended a community college in Indianapolis part time while working a day job as a dietary aide at a Methodist Hospital. She also acted in several musicals at the pro-am Civic Theater where she got to work with several notable performers including Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
. Brown also worked as a singing waitress for a time.
The death of her younger brother led Brown, then 20, to re-examine her faith and join the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
with intent to become a singing evangelist. To that end, in the fall of 1986, at the age of 21, Brown enrolled at Oakwood College
Oakwood College
Oakwood University is a private university located in Huntsville, Alabama, United States. It is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church...
planning to major in biblical studies with a minor in music. Brown subsequently changed her major to music, however, after her voice teacher, Ginger Beazley, convinced her to pursue opera singing instead. Brown received a bachelor's degree in the Spring of 1991.
From 1992 to 1997, Brown continued her studies at the Jacobs School of Music
Jacobs School of Music
The Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, is a music conservatory established in 1921. Until 2005, it was known as the Indiana University School of Music...
at Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
with noted voice teacher Virginia Zeani
Virginia Zeani
Virginia Zeani is a Romanian soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, especially the role of in "La traviata".-Early life:Zeani was born Virginia Zehan, in Solovăstru, Romania...
. Brown had worked frequently with Zeani while at Oakwood College, as Ginger Beazley took Brown and her other students up to IU to participate in Zeani's master classes.
While in graduate school, Brown began competing in several notable music competitions. In 1994 Brown tried out for the National Council Auditions of New York's Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
. She made it as far as the regional finals but proceedd no further. She tried out two more years in a row, only to twice more be stopped at the regional level. She tried one more last time in 1997. "I had nothing to lose," she told the New York Times. Instead, she won everything, not only the regionals, but also the semi-finals and then the finals. The win bought her entry into the world of professional opera.
Brown has since gone on to win the 2000 Richard Tucker Career Grant, a 1998 Sullivan Foundation Grant, the 1998 G.B. Viotti Verdi Vocal Competition, and the 1998 Opera Carolina Competition.
Career
In 1997, Brown moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and began performing in a steady stream of small roles with larger opera companies and larger roles with smaller opera companies over the next several years. She also appeared in concerts with good regional orchestras and gave many recitals.
In the 2000-2001 season, Brown performed with the San Antonio Symphony
San Antonio Symphony
The San Antonio Symphony is a full-time professional symphony orchestra based in San Antonio, Texas. Its season runs from late September to early June...
, Teatro La Fenice, as Serena in Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
with Opera Company of Philadelphia
Opera Company of Philadelphia
The Opera Company of Philadelphia is an American opera company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the city's only company producing grand opera. The organization produces four fully staged opera productions annually, encompassing works from the seventeenth through the 21st century...
, and gave several recitals. She also began working for the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
as a cover artist for the title roles of Verdi's Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
and Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
' Ariadne auf Naxos
Ariadne auf Naxos
Ariadne auf Naxos is an opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Bringing together slapstick comedy and consuming beautiful music, the opera's theme is the competition between high and low art for the public's attention.- First version :The opera was originally...
. This was followed by cover work for the company for the next three seasons.
In the 2001-2002 season, Brown appeared as the Fourth Maid in Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera is an American opera company based in Cincinnati, Ohio and the second oldest opera company in the United States .-History:...
's production of Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
' Elektra
Elektra (opera)
Elektra is a one-act opera by Richard Strauss, to a German-language libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, which he adapted from his 1903 drama Elektra. The opera was the first of many collaborations between Strauss and Hofmannsthal...
.
In the 2002-2003 season, Brown performed at the Kimmel Center with the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
for the September 11 Memorial Concert, return trips to the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
to cover the roles of Aida and Ariadne, covering Leonora in Il Trovatore
Il trovatore
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto...
for San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
, performances of Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
’ Four Last Songs with the El Paso Symphony and Muncie Symphony Orchestras, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.
In the 2003-2004 season, Brown performed the roles of Elisabetta in Verdi's Don Carlo and Leonora in Verdi's Il Trovatore
Il trovatore
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto...
for the Opera Company of Philadelphia
Opera Company of Philadelphia
The Opera Company of Philadelphia is an American opera company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the city's only company producing grand opera. The organization produces four fully staged opera productions annually, encompassing works from the seventeenth through the 21st century...
, the title role in Verdi's Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
for Shaker Mountain Opera, and the role of Cassandra in Taneyev
Taneyev
Taneyev is the name of two composers.* Aleksandr Taneyev , Russian nationalist composer* Sergei Taneyev , Russian composer...
's Agamemnon
Agamemnon
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope of Mycenae, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of Clytemnestra, and the father of Electra and Orestes. Mythical legends make him the king of Mycenae or Argos, thought to be different names for the same area...
with the Manhattan Philharmonic and the Aquila Theater Company which toured Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and was performed at her Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
debut . She also performed a concert of Strauss and Wagner arias with the Auckland Philharmonia, was a soloist in Verdi's Requiem
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
with the Louisville Orchestra
Louisville Orchestra
The Louisville Orchestra is the primary orchestra in Louisville, Kentucky and has been called the cornerstone of the Louisville arts scene. It was founded in 1937 by Robert Whitney and Charles Farnsley, Mayor of Louisville...
, and a soloist with the Gibraltar Philharmonic. In addition, Brown made an unexpected appearance with the Opera Company of Philadelphia
Opera Company of Philadelphia
The Opera Company of Philadelphia is an American opera company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the city's only company producing grand opera. The organization produces four fully staged opera productions annually, encompassing works from the seventeenth through the 21st century...
when she filled in at the last minute in the title role of Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos
Ariadne auf Naxos
Ariadne auf Naxos is an opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Bringing together slapstick comedy and consuming beautiful music, the opera's theme is the competition between high and low art for the public's attention.- First version :The opera was originally...
. Brown also filled in for an ailing singer for an orchestra rehearsal of Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
. The company was so impressed with her work, they immediately called Brown's agent and booked her for two performances of Aida and 12 cover performances for the next season.
In the 2004-2005 season, Brown made her critically acclaimed debut at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
in the title role of Verdi's Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
. Her performance was so well received that an article about her appeared on the front page of the New York Times on November 8, 2004. Originally she was not scheduled that night to sing, as she had already sung two performances in the scheduled run of Aida and covering the role for the remainder of the run, but she was called to replace the ailing lead that night. Opera News stated of her performance "one of America’s most promising Verdi sopranos". In addition, Brown sang the role of Aida for Opera Company of Philadelphia
Opera Company of Philadelphia
The Opera Company of Philadelphia is an American opera company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the city's only company producing grand opera. The organization produces four fully staged opera productions annually, encompassing works from the seventeenth through the 21st century...
and followed that with the world premiere of Margaret Garner
Margaret Garner
Margaret Garner was an enslaved African American woman in pre-Civil War America who was notorious - or celebrated - for killing her own daughter rather than allow the child to be returned to slavery. She and her family had escaped in January 1856 across the frozen Ohio River to Cincinnati, but...
, a new opera by Richard Danielpour
Richard Danielpour
Richard Danielpour is an American composer.-Biography:Danielpour is born of Persian/Jewish descent. He studied at Oberlin College and the New England Conservatory of Music, and later at the Juilliard School of Music, where he received a DMA in composition in 1986...
and Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, editor, and professor. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved...
, in the role of Cilla for Michigan Opera Theatre
Michigan Opera Theatre
Michigan Opera Theatre is Michigan's principal opera company. The company is based in Detroit, where it performs in the Detroit Opera House. Each year it presents an opera and dance season. The company usually presents five operas in their original language with English supertitles and hosts five...
and Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera is an American opera company based in Cincinnati, Ohio and the second oldest opera company in the United States .-History:...
. She also appeared as a guest soloist in a concert of opera arias for Auckland Philharmonia (New Zealand) and Dayton Opera
Dayton Opera
Dayton Opera is an American opera company based in Dayton, Ohio. The company makes its home at the Schuster Center in downtown Dayton where it annually produces three operas and an operatic concert and has an annual budget of approximately $2 million...
.
In the 2005-2006 season, Brown performed the role of Amelia in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
and the role of Cilla in Margaret Garner
Margaret Garner
Margaret Garner was an enslaved African American woman in pre-Civil War America who was notorious - or celebrated - for killing her own daughter rather than allow the child to be returned to slavery. She and her family had escaped in January 1856 across the frozen Ohio River to Cincinnati, but...
for the Opera Company of Philadelphia
Opera Company of Philadelphia
The Opera Company of Philadelphia is an American opera company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the city's only company producing grand opera. The organization produces four fully staged opera productions annually, encompassing works from the seventeenth through the 21st century...
, the title role in Verdi's Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
for Opera Pacific
Opera Pacific
Opera Pacific was an opera company located in the Orange County, California, United States city of Santa Ana. It operated for 22 seasons before closing in 2008 after several seasons of deepening financial difficulties.-History:...
and Florentine Opera
Florentine Opera
The Florentine Opera Company is Wisconsin's oldest fully professional performing arts organization and the sixth-oldest opera company in the United States. The company presents on three staged productions per season largely from the standard operatic repertoire...
, Verdi's Requiem
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
for the Festival of Saint Denis in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony and Brevard Festival Orchestra, and recitals throughout the United States.
In the 2006-2007 season, Brown made her debut with Opéra National de Paris as Amelia in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
, sang the title role of Verdi's Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
with Florida Grand Opera
Florida Grand Opera
Florida Grand Opera is an American opera company based in Miami, Florida. FGO was created in 1994 from the consolidation of two opera companies in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale region:...
for the opening the new Carnival Performing Arts Center, and sang the role of Bess in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
for both Opera Pacific
Opera Pacific
Opera Pacific was an opera company located in the Orange County, California, United States city of Santa Ana. It operated for 22 seasons before closing in 2008 after several seasons of deepening financial difficulties.-History:...
to open the new Orange County Performing Arts Center
Orange County Performing Arts Center
The Orange County Performing Arts Center is a performing arts complex located in Costa Mesa, California, United States.The Center offers the world’s leading dance companies, Broadway shows, award-winning classical, jazz and cabaret artists, family entertainment, special events and year-round...
and the Opera Company of Philadelphia
Opera Company of Philadelphia
The Opera Company of Philadelphia is an American opera company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the city's only company producing grand opera. The organization produces four fully staged opera productions annually, encompassing works from the seventeenth through the 21st century...
to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Academy of Music
Academy of Music (Philadelphia)
The Academy of Music, also known as American Academy of Music, is a concert hall and opera house located at Broad and Locust Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1857 and is the oldest opera house in the United States that is still used for its original purpose...
.
In the 2007-2008 season, Brown sang the title role of Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
and the role of Amelia in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
. She was also chosen by The Library of Congress as the featured soloist for the 2008-2009 National Celebration of the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in February. In addition, Brown sang in concert at Dayton Opera
Dayton Opera
Dayton Opera is an American opera company based in Dayton, Ohio. The company makes its home at the Schuster Center in downtown Dayton where it annually produces three operas and an operatic concert and has an annual budget of approximately $2 million...
, performed with the Indianapolis Symphony, sang Aida with Opera de la ABAO, the title role in Puccini's Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
with Florida Grand Opera
Florida Grand Opera
Florida Grand Opera is an American opera company based in Miami, Florida. FGO was created in 1994 from the consolidation of two opera companies in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale region:...
, and gave her first appearance in the role of Leonora in a concert version of La Forza del Destino
La forza del destino
La forza del destino is an Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on a Spanish drama, Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino , by Ángel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas, with a scene adapted from Friedrich Schiller's Wallensteins Lager. It was first performed...
with James Conlon
James Conlon
James Conlon is an American conductor and the current Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera.-Early years:Conlon grew up in a family of five children on Cherry Street in Douglaston, Queens, New York. His mother, Angeline L. Conlon, was a freelance writer. His father was an assistant to the New...
for the Cincinnati May Festival
Cincinnati May Festival
The Cincinnati May Festival is a two-week annual choral festival, held during the last two weekends in May in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The festival's roots go back to the 1840s, when Saengerfests were held in that city, bringing singers from all over the United States and abroad to perform large...
. This summer Brown will perform Verdi's Requiem with the National Symphony of Spain in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, give a concert of sacred repertoire at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland
The Cathedral of St Patrick and St Joseph is the Cathedral of the Catholic Bishop of Auckland.-Origins:...
in Auckland, New Zealand, and will be the featured performer at the NAACP's national conference in July 2008.
In the 2008-2009 season, Brown sang Aida for Cape Town Opera
Cape Town Opera
Cape Town Opera is a professional opera company located in Cape Town, South Africa. CTO was founded in 1999 by the management and staff of the former South Africa Arts Council Opera...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and for the Latvian National Symphony in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. She celebrated Christmas with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra
Alabama Symphony Orchestra
- 1921-1955: Beginnings :The Alabama Symphony Orchestra can trace its beginnings to 1921, when on Friday, April 29, fifty-two volunteer musicians joined to perform at the Birmingham Music Festival at the Old Jefferson Theater...
in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and the Southwest Michigan Symphony. In addition, she sang Aida at her debut with the Deutsche Oper Berlin
Deutsche Oper Berlin
The Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is also home to the Berlin State Ballet.-History:...
, Leonora in Il Trovatore
Il trovatore
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto...
for her debut with Atlanta Opera, Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
for National Opera of Paris, and Elisabetta in Don Carlo for Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera is an American opera company based in Cincinnati, Ohio and the second oldest opera company in the United States .-History:...
, and performed Verdi's Requiem in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
Brown has also performed roles with the Indianapolis Opera
Indianapolis Opera
The only professional opera company in Indiana, the ' hosts three fully staged productions a season in addition to supporting a Young Artist Program and various local events...
.
She has performed in concert with the San Antonio Symphony
San Antonio Symphony
The San Antonio Symphony is a full-time professional symphony orchestra based in San Antonio, Texas. Its season runs from late September to early June...
, Tulsa Philharmonic
Tulsa Philharmonic
The Tulsa Philharmonic was an American symphony orchestra located in Tulsa, OK. The orchestra was founded in 1948 by H. Arthur Brown who was principal conductor from 1948 till 1958. The orchestra played for 53 seasons...
, Indianapolis Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Brevard Festival Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony, Long Island Philharmonic
Long Island Philharmonic
The Long Island Philharmonic, based in Melville, New York was founded in 1979 by folk singer Harry Chapin, Maestro Christopher Keene, and a group of Long Island's major community and business leaders...
, Asheville Lyric Opera
Asheville Lyric Opera
Asheville Lyric Opera is a professional, non-profit opera company located in Asheville, North Carolina. Now approaching their 13th Season, the company was founded in 1999 with a mission to enhance the arts and cultural life of Western North Carolina. Founder, David Craig Starkey, currently serves...
's 10th Anniversary GalaHendersonville Symphony, Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Institution
The Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State...
, the Kennedy Center's 25th Anniversary Celebration, Chicago Sinfonietta
Chicago Sinfonietta
The Chicago Sinfonietta is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. The stated mission of the orchestra is to "serve as a national model for inclusiveness and innovation in classical music" and to "help America become a true cultural democracy, in which everyone can share fully in its...
, The Joy of Music Television Series and tours throughout United States, Canada, New Zealand, Italy, and Africa.
She has given recitals in such places as Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. It is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assisted in the construction of the hall...
and Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
.
Educator and humanitarian
Angela M. Brown is a spokesperson for the United Negro College FundUnited Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund is an American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 private historically black colleges and universities. The UNCF was incorporated on April 25, 1944 by Frederick D. Patterson , Mary...
and uses her voice to bring awareness of opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
to minority audiences, communities and diverse young audiences. Since 2002, she has frequently given free concerts entitled Opera...from A Sistah's Point of View with fellow opera singer Kishna Davis to help every day people connect with opera.
Discography
- 2004 Mosaic - recording of African-American spirituals with pianist Joseph Joubert on the Albany Records label (www.albanyrecords.com)
- 1997 recording and performances with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra - Erich Kunzel, conductor (Serena selections from Porgy and Bess and world-premier recording of "Lonely Boy" from the original score) release TelArc May 1998
- 1997 Guest Artist on The Joy of Music Television Series - on location in Heidelberg, Germany
- 1997 Guest Artist on the Hour of Power International Television Program (Crystal Cathedral, California)
- 1995 solo compact disc recording with Charles Webb pianist and Dean Emeritus of Indiana University School of Music
Watch and listen
- To hear Angela Brown sing the role of Amelia in Verdi's Un Ballo in MascheraUn ballo in mascheraUn ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
click on this link: Watch Here
External links
- JEJ Artists Official Site
- Angela M. Brown Official Site
- "For a Fill-in-Aida, A Triumph Long in Coming", New York Times, November 8, 2004.
- Article: A "Sistah's" Guide to Opera"