William Brown (tenor)
Encyclopedia
William Brown was an African-American opera
tic tenor
. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Jackson State University
in 1960 and a Masters of Music degree from the Jacobs School of Music
at Indiana University
in 1962. He later earned a doctorate of music from the Peabody Institute
in 1971. From 1962 to 1966, he was a soloist with the United States Navy Band and Choir
, with whom he performed for Presidents John F. Kennedy
and Lyndon B. Johnson
. In 1967, he made his professional opera debut as Spalanzani in The Tales of Hoffmann with the Baltimore Opera Company
. That same year, replacing an ailing Placido Domingo
, he made his New York City debut as Kalaf in Ferruccio Busoni
's Turandot
with the The Little Orchestra Society
at Avery Fisher Hall
. He also starred as the Angel in the world premiere of John La Montaine
's pageant opera The Sheparde's Playe, which was recorded for television and broadcast nationally in the Unites States on ABC
. In 1968, he created the role of Feste in the world premiere of David Amram
's Twelfth Night at the Lake George Opera, and he made his debut at the New York City Opera
as Lieutenant Jean l'Aiglon in the world premiere of Hugo Weisgall
's Nine Rivers from Jordan
.
In 1970, Brown sang the role of Don Ottavio in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
's Don Giovanni
at the Connecticut Opera
. In 1971, he portrayed the role of Lucano in Claudio Monteverdi
's L'incoronazione di Poppea
with the Opera Orchestra of New York
under conductor Eve Queler
. He returned to the Baltimore Opera in 1972 to perform the role of Belmonte in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail
. In 1977, he sang the role of Nate in the New York premiere of William Grant Still
's Highway 1 U.S.A. for the inaugural production of Opera Ebony
. That same year, he made his debut with the New York Philharmonic
, singing in a concert of works written entirely by African-American composers. In 1981, he performed the role of Thompson St. Chavez in Virgil Thomson
's Four Saints in Three Acts
at Carnegie Hall
, a role which he recorded with Nonesuch Records
in 1982. In 1985, he starred in the world premiere of Dorothy Rudd Moore
's opera, Frederick Douglass, at Aaron Davis Hall
. In 1991, he was the recipient of the North Carolina Award
.
From 1972 until his death 32 years later, Brown was a professor of voice at the University of North Florida
. He had previously taught at Florida Presbyterian College from 1970 to 1972. Brown died in 2004 at the age of 66 in Jacksonville, Florida
.
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...
tic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Jackson State University
Jackson State University
Jackson State University is a historically black university founded in 1877 in Natchez, MS by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. The Society moved the school to Jackson in 1882, renaming it Jackson College, and developed its present campus in 1902. It became a state supported...
in 1960 and a Masters of Music degree from 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
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
in 1962. He later earned a doctorate of music from the Peabody Institute
Peabody Institute
The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a renowned conservatory and preparatory school located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland at the corner of Charles and Monument Streets at Mount Vernon Place.-History:...
in 1971. From 1962 to 1966, he was a soloist with the United States Navy Band and Choir
United States Navy Band
The United States Navy Band, based at the historic Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., has served the nation as the official musical organization of the United States Navy since 1925...
, with whom he performed for Presidents John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
. In 1967, he made his professional opera debut as Spalanzani in The Tales of Hoffmann with the Baltimore Opera Company
Baltimore Opera Company
The Baltimore Opera Company was an opera company in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A., based at the Baltimore Lyric Opera House. On March 12, 2009, the 58-year-old opera company announced plans to pursue Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation....
. That same year, replacing an ailing Placido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
, he made his New York City debut as Kalaf in Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...
's Turandot
Turandot (Busoni)
Turandot is a 1917 opera with spoken dialogue and in two acts by Ferruccio Busoni. Busoni prepared his own libretto, in German, based on the play by Count Carlo Gozzi. The music for Busoni's opera is based on incidental music, and the associated Turandot Suite , which Busoni had written in 1905...
with the The Little Orchestra Society
The Little Orchestra Society
The Little Orchestra Society is an American orchestra based in New York City. It was founded in 1947 by Thomas Scherman, who served as its conductor until his death in 1979. Since 1979, the conductor has been Dino Anagnost. Its membership has ranged between 45 and 60 musicians...
at Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
. He also starred as the Angel in the world premiere of John La Montaine
John La Montaine
John La Montaine is an American composer, born in Oak Park, Illinois, who won the 1959 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his Piano Concerto no. 1, Op. 9, "In Time of War" , which was premiered by Jorge Bolet....
's pageant opera The Sheparde's Playe, which was recorded for television and broadcast nationally in the Unites States on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. In 1968, he created the role of Feste in the world premiere of David Amram
David Amram
David Amram is an American composer, musician, conductor, and writer. As a classical composer and performer, his integration of jazz , ethnic and folk music has led him to work with the likes of Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Willie Nelson, Langston...
's Twelfth Night at the Lake George Opera, and he made his debut at the New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
as Lieutenant Jean l'Aiglon in the world premiere of Hugo Weisgall
Hugo Weisgall
Hugo David Weisgall was an American composer and conductor, known chiefly for his opera and vocal music compositions...
's Nine Rivers from Jordan
Nine Rivers from Jordan
Nine Rivers from Jordan is an opera in a prologue and three acts by composer Hugo Weisgall. The work uses an English libretto by Denis Johnston and tells the story of a British soldier during World War II who lets a prisoner of war escape. The work premiered on October 9, 1968 at the New York City...
.
In 1970, Brown sang the role of Don Ottavio in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
at the Connecticut Opera
Connecticut Opera
Connecticut Opera was a professional, non-profit, opera company based in Hartford, Connecticut, and a member of OPERA America. The company presented three fully staged opera productions during an annual season. It was founded in 1942 under the directorship of Frank Pandolfi and was the sixth oldest...
. In 1971, he portrayed the role of Lucano in Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, gambist, and singer.Monteverdi's work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the transition from the Renaissance style of music to that of the Baroque period. He developed two individual styles of composition – the...
's L'incoronazione di Poppea
L'incoronazione di Poppea
L'incoronazione di Poppea is an Italian baroque opera comprising a prologue and three acts, first performed in Venice during the 1642–43 carnival season. The music, attributed to Claudio Monteverdi, is a setting of a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello...
with the Opera Orchestra of New York
Opera Orchestra of New York
The Opera Orchestra of New York specializes in the performance of opera in concert form. It is particularly known for its work in presenting rarely performed repertory...
under conductor Eve Queler
Eve Queler
Eve Queler is an American conductor and the current Artistic Director of the Opera Orchestra of New York . She founded the OONY in 1971 after having worked on the staffs of the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera....
. He returned to the Baltimore Opera in 1972 to perform the role of Belmonte in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail is an opera Singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner with adaptations by Gottlieb Stephanie...
. In 1977, he sang the role of Nate in the New York premiere of William Grant Still
William Grant Still
William Grant Still was an African-American classical composer who wrote more than 150 compositions. He was the first African American to conduct a major American symphony orchestra, the first to have a symphony performed by a leading orchestra, the first to have an opera performed by a major...
's Highway 1 U.S.A. for the inaugural production of Opera Ebony
Opera Ebony
Opera Ebony is an African-American opera company.Performances of Mozart in Harlem to African-American Heritage concerts in Iceland. Gershwin in Moscow to Duke Ellington in the Caribbean. Benjamin Matthews, Sister Mary Elise S.B.S. and Wayne Sanders founded Opera Ebony in 1973...
. That same year, he made his debut with the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
, singing in a concert of works written entirely by African-American composers. In 1981, he performed the role of Thompson St. Chavez in Virgil Thomson
Virgil Thomson
Virgil Thomson was an American composer and critic. He was instrumental in the development of the "American Sound" in classical music...
's Four Saints in Three Acts
Four Saints in Three Acts
Four Saints in Three Acts is an opera by American composer Virgil Thomson with a libretto by Gertrude Stein. Written in 1927-8, it contains about 20 saints, and is in at least four acts...
at 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....
, a role which he recorded with Nonesuch Records
Nonesuch Records
Nonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP...
in 1982. In 1985, he starred in the world premiere of Dorothy Rudd Moore
Dorothy Rudd Moore
-Life:Dorothy Rudd was born in New Castle, Delaware, and took piano lessons as a child. She graduated from Howard University in 1963 where she studied with Mark Fax, and continued her studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris in 1963 and Chou Wen-Chung in New York in 1965.Rudd worked as a private music...
's opera, Frederick Douglass, at Aaron Davis Hall
Aaron Davis Hall
Aaron Davis Hall is a Performing Arts Center in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City.Aaron Davis Hall was founded in 1981 and is located on the campus of the City College of New York, between West 133rd and 135th Streets on Convent Avenue. Convent Ave. is one block east of Amsterdam Avenue...
. In 1991, he was the recipient of the North Carolina Award
North Carolina Award
The North Carolina Award is the highest civilian award bestowed by the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is awarded in the four fields of science, literature, the fine arts, and public service....
.
From 1972 until his death 32 years later, Brown was a professor of voice at the University of North Florida
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
. He had previously taught at Florida Presbyterian College from 1970 to 1972. Brown died in 2004 at the age of 66 in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
.