Her successful debut at the Met matched by her vocal abilities of sheer power and luxurious finesse earned Ms. Brown rave reviews from The New York Times: "At last an Aida;" The Associated Press: "...she combines a potent, dusky lower register with a striking ability to spin out soft high notes of shimmering beauty. There's no doubt her voice is powerful enough for Verdi;" and, CBS Evening News: "the future of opera has arrived." And, while opera stars wowing mainstream audiences are few and far between, Ms. Brown's charismatic presence, sense of humor, and unwavering determination continue to bring her a flurry of media attention including feature stories in O, The Oprah Magazine, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Classical Singer, Reader's Digest, and Psychology Today.
Ms. Brown's highly anticipated return to the Met as Aida has arrived and begins September 29 and will run through November 8, 2007. She will return to the Met in April 2008 as Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera. Other engagements this season include Indianapolis Symphony's opening gala, Aida in Bilbao, Spain, Tosca for Florida Grand Opera, recitals for Dayton Opera, Wartburg College and Highland Park Methodist Church in Dallas. And, later this season, Ms. Brown debuts an opera role with Mo. James Conlon. Visit www.angelambrown.com or see below for her complete performance schedule.
About Angela M. Brown:
Soprano Angela M. Brown's passion for music started miles away from opera when she began singing gospel at her grandfather's Baptist church in Indianapolis. It wasn't until she attended Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, that she was introduced to opera and the world of classical music.
Nearly two decades later, Ms. Brown an African American soprano and winner of the prestigious 1997 National Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions, is considered "the future of opera" and is hailed with praise by opera lovers and media alike. Among her accolades, Ms. Brown made her fantastic Paris Opera debut this summer as Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera. Other performances in the 2006-2007 season included Aida for Florida Grand Opera to open the new Carnival Performing Arts Center, Bess (Porgy and Bess) for Opera Pacific to open the new Orange County Performing Arts Center, Opera Company of Philadelphia and the 150th Anniversary of the Academy of Music in Philadelphia.
The 2005-2006 season included Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera and Cilla in Margaret Garner both for Opera Company of Philadelphia, the title role in Aida for Opera Pacific and Florentine Opera, Verdi Requiem for the Festival of Saint Denis, France, concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony and Brevard Festival Orchestra, and recitals throughout the United States.
In 2004-2005, Ms. 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 guest soloist in a concert of opera arias for Auckland Philharmonia (New Zealand) and Dayton Opera. A recording, titled Mosaic, of African-American spirituals featuring Ms. Brown with guitar and piano accompaniment was released in October 2004 from Albany Records.
The 2003-2004 season encompassed four highly successful and critically acclaimed role debuts as Ariadne, Elisabetta (Don Carlo) and Lenora (Il Trovatore) for Opera Company of Philadelphia and Cassandra in Taneyev's Agamemnon for her Carnegie Hall debut.
Angela M. Brown is also a spokesperson for the United Negro College Fund and uses her voice to bring awareness of opera to minority audiences, communities and diverse young audiences.
About Verdi's Aida:
Aida, an Ethiopian princess, is captured and brought into slavery in Egypt. A military commander, Radames, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to the Pharaoh. To complicate the story further, Radames is loved by the Pharaoh's daughter Amneris, although he does not return the feeling. Verdi's Aida met with great acclaim when it finally opened in December 1871, and it continues to be a staple of the standard operatic repertoire. It appears as number sixteen on Opera America's list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America.
About the Metropolitan Opera:
The Metropolitan Opera is a vibrant home for the most creative and talented artists working in the multidisciplinary field of opera including; singers, conductors, composers, orchestra musicians, stage directors, designers, visual artists, choreographers and dancers from around the world. The Met has been known as a venue for the world's great voices for well over a century. Since 1976 the Met has been under the musical direction of James Levine, who has created one of opera's finest orchestras and choruses.
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