Met Opera Star Shines Through and Through
On October 30th, Metropolitan Opera singer Angela Brown visited Baruch to speak to students who were about to see her perform in Aida. Brown, who plays the title role in Aida, told her story of how she was transformed from a choirgirl singing in the chorus at church to the true Verdian Aida that many opera fans have been anticipating. Brown explained the tribulations she encountered during her training, and told the story with charisma, personality, and her own star-like quality.
Angela Brown started off the session by relating her life story to the class and highlighting aspects of her professional training and career. Brown explained her musical background, which is made up of a mother who was an artist and a singer. Brown started in the world of classical music early on at age five, singing in church. She originally found herself very interested in performing gospel music and even received an undergraduate degree in music. Although gospel was her first true love, Brown found herself heavily influenced by Euro-centric music during her time in college. This was a huge tug of war for her: staying loyal to her musical roots meant singing gospel, not venturing into the classical or more Euro-centric genres. She found an opposition within herself when trying to pursue singing classical music, but it was obvious that Brown had a talent for singing this kind of music. Her peers and those who surrounded her picked up on her talent for singing and encouraged her to love the genre.
Throughout the discussion of her training, Angela Brown constantly talked about having a vision: it is something that one tries to live up to once it has been established. When Brown finally gave in to her interests and started training to be a singer of classical music and eventually opera, she found her vision dangling in front of her, with a goal of one day catching up to it. After participating in many contests and winning accolades, Brown got the opportunity to play Aida at the Metropolitan Opera and finally caught up with her vision. Her debut was warmly received by critics, with one proclaiming “At last an Aida.” Brown explained that this was a deeply moving compliment because it meant that she played the role to the satisfaction of those opera fans longing for a singer to perform Aida to prototypal, Verdian standards.
Brown is one of the most entertaining, intriguing characters I have ever heard speak. She can tell a story like no one else can: even though she was speaking to an audience, it felt like she was talking to each member individually. Her eye contact, gesticulations, and interaction with the audience and their reactions made the event feel like something very personal. Just hearing her speak a few sentences, I knew she was absolutely a star who could carry herself in any situation. Her most admirable quality is her modesty. For one who has accomplished so much in her life, Angela Brown downplays her amazing talent and her ability to bring a crowd of people to their feet.