Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Lawrence Brownlee to embark on a U.S. recital tour, including Carnegie Hall recital debut


Lawrence Brownlee

Sergio Mims sends us this press release:

Tenor Lawrence Brownlee's career has taken him to nearly every major opera house in the world, where he has performed with top conductors, symphony orchestras, and opera stars such as Renée Fleming and Cecilia Bartoli. This spring, American audiences will be able to see him as he embarks on a U.S. solo recital tour. Brownlee is delighted to appear with noted accompanist Martin Katz in North Carolina, New York, Georgia, and Ohio as well as to make his Carnegie Hall recital debut. The program includes songs by Verdi, Poulenc, Marx, Ginastera, and Ben Moore, as well as traditional spirituals in premiere arrangements by Damien Sneed. 


The Verdi selections open the evening and have previously been recorded by Brownlee and Katz on their 2006 album: Italian Songs, on the EMI label. The pair will also perform several songs by Francis Poulenc. When Brownlee made his London recital debut in September 2012 singing Poulenc, The Upcoming noted, "Often wistful, full of memory and longing, the choice of songs was well-balanced for an enjoyable evening." Opera Britannia cheered, "Mr. Brownlee delivered 'C' with a beauty of both line and sentiment. I liked his subtle use of portamento and his ability to sustain a darker, softer tone." The night continues with pieces by Joseph Marx, an Austrian composer known for his lyricism. Moving away from the European and bel canto repertoire the singer is known for, Brownlee will also perform Cinco canciones populares argentinas by Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera. Drawing from popular folk songs and Latin rhythms, he wrote the piece during the dark period of Juan Perón's regime as protest in favor of democratic principles and artistic freedom. Ben Moore is a contemporary composer who has been championed b! y the likes of Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, and Nathan Gunn. Finally, Brownlee's recital program will close with several traditional Spirituals, arranged for Brownlee by his friend and collaborator Damien Sneed. 


PROGRAM:


Giuseppe Verdi: 

        "Ad una stella"
        "Lo Spazzacamino"
        "Il tramonto"
        "Brindisi"



Francis Poulenc: 

        "Montparnasse"
        "Voyage à Paris"
        "C"
        "Reine des mouettes"
        "Bleuet"



Joseph Marx:

        "Nocturne"
        "Selige Nacht"
        "Die Elfe"
        "Christbaum" 
        "Hat dich die Liebe berührt"

Alberto Ginastera: 
        Cinco Canciones Populares Argentinas 
                    "Chacarera"
                    "Triste"
                    "Zamba"
                    "Arrorró"
                    "Gato"

Ben Moore:
        "The Cloak, The Boat and the Shoes"
        "This Heart That Flutters"
        "The Lake Isle of Innisfree"
        "I Would in that Sweet Bosom Be"

Damien Sneed:
        Arrangement of Spirituals
                   "Evry time I feel de Spirit"
                   "Balm in Gilead"
                   "All night, all day"
                   "Deep River"
                   "Come by here dear Lord"

DATES:

March 3, 2013

Asheville Lyric Opera
Asheville, NC


March 15, 2013

Community Performance Series
Potsdam, NY


March 22, 2013

Emory University
Atlanta, GA


March 28, 2013

Carnegie Hall
New York, NY


April 13, 2013

College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH


April 20, 2013

Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute
Utica, NY 




Lawrence Brownlee is one of the most consistently sought-after artists on the international scene. He is lauded continually for the beauty of his voice, his seemingly effortless technical agility, and his dynamic and engaging dramatic skills. Brownlee's luminous voice has made him the standard for traditional operas by composers such as Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, and Bizet. He made his professional stage debut in 2002 as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Virginia Opera, and he has subsequently sung the role in major opera houses around the world. Throughout his career, he has appeared on numerous CDs and DVDs including the Metropolitan Opera's 2010 HD relay of Armida on Decca and the Metropolitan Opera's 2009 production of La Cenerentola with Elīna Garanča as Angelina on Deutsche Grammophon; a live recording taken from the 2008 Rossini in Wildbad Festival of L’italiana in Algeri on Naxos; and a solo disc on EMI Classics featuring Italian songs by Schubert, Verdi, Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini, accompanied by pianist Martin Katz. In 2008, Brownlee was named the Seattle Opera's 2008 Artist of the Year, received the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s 2007 Alter Award for Artistic Excellence, and was the winner of both the 2006 Marian Anderson and Richard Tucker Awards, a feat never before achieved by any artist in the same year. He is a proud Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

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