The Woman Who is Aida
“My greatest opposition, I faced in myself… if it’s for you, then it’s for you.” – Angela Brown. If you believe that you can and strive to achieve your goals, then anything is possible. Who is any better an example to support this claim than the operatic star, the lead singer of Aida, Angela Brown. She is living proof, that dreams are for anyone, and that they can, in fact, come true.
Even though Angela Brown is currently located center stage, cast as the lead in the Metropolitan Opera production of Aida, her original intentions were not so. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, she never imagined that she would end up on the grandest of all stages. From the beginning, Angela Brown always favored gospel music; singing in the choir for her grandfather’s church. However, it was not until she attended Oakwood College in Alabama, that she got her first dose of classical music. While attending this institution, she was introduced to classical music and the operatic style of singing. She didn’t really consider (or like for that matter) classical music as a potential career choice. But when you hear from a peer that you’re “head and shoulders above everyone else,” in terms of singing potential and capability, you can’t help but to think, what if?
Going out on a hunch she began training her resonating palette and breathing skills for opera. It was during this period of time, that she realized that the operatic style just “clicked” for her, and everything fell into place. Looking back on it know, Angela Brown stated, “I guess I was born to do what I’m doing now.” Unsurprisingly, throughout her training, everyone seemed to have great expectations – a grand vision – for her; she just had to catch up to it. But it wasn’t until after numerous years of auditioning, that she caught a break. She moved to New York City and landed a callback from an audition she had done earlier for the Metropolitan Opera. During the callback, she began working with John Fischer, one of the coaches, and auditioned for a cover.
While working as a cover for the MET opera’s production of Aida, Angela Brown caught yet another break. The lead in Aida fell ill, and being the understudy, Angela Brown was pushed into the spotlight during the sitzprobe. Soon after, her agent called ecstatically, exclaiming that she had been offered twelve covers and two performances for the 2004-2006 seasons. Upon accepting the deal, Angela Brown made her debut on October 9th 2004, and was met with glorious accolade; she was the first opera singer to be featured on the front page of the New York Times since 1959 – the headlines, “At last, an Aida.” At that point, she asserted, she had finally “caught up with the vision,” and had finally realized her dream. In a sense, her career played out quite simply – one thing lead to another; in her own words, “everything can be a stepping stone to everything else.”