Lawrence Brownlee
(Larry Prezly)
Opera Philadelphia
March 30, 2017
Opera Philadelphia announced today that Lawrence Brownlee, whose lead performance in the 2015 world premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD kick started the company’s “big commitment to new repertoire” (The Wall Street Journal), has joined the company as an Artistic Advisor. In this position, Brownlee will work with General Director & President David B. Devan and Corrado Rovaris,
the Jack Mulroney Music Director, to advise and advocate for expanded
repertoire, provide insights on diversity in artistic practices and
community initiatives, and collaborate with senior management in
identifying and securing financial support for the company.
Brownlee’s “stunningly voiced Parker” (Opera News) in June 2015 affirmed Opera Philadelphia’s mission as a 21st-century
opera company that inspires artists to create their most imaginative
work that resonates and excites a varied audience. The superstar tenor,
one of the most in-demand singers around the world, led an acclaimed
2016 production of the opera at The Apollo Theater in Harlem and just
wrapped a celebrated interpretation of Parker with the Lyric Opera of
Chicago (March 24-26). He will next sing the European premiere with
English National Opera at Hackney Empire in London (June 9-17). His
experience with the role of Parker sparked his interest in working with
Opera Philadelphia’s artistic team.
“I'm honored and humbled to
join the extraordinary team at Opera Philadelphia, and in my role as
Artistic Advisor, I look forward to working with them towards their
mission of moving the art form forward and changing the very notion of
what opera can be,” said Lawrence Brownlee. “Whether it be helping with the creation of groundbreaking new works like YARDBIRD, Breaking the Waves, and We Shall Not Be Moved,
working to build new relationships and partnerships in the U.S. and
internationally, or expanding the reach and diversity of audiences, I'm
excited to be an agent of change in an organization that is truly
committed to building the future of opera.”
The hiring of Brownlee completes a renowned trio of artistic advisors at Opera Philadelphia. Opera and voice instructor Mikael Eliasen,
currently Dean of Vocal Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music and
Artistic Director of the Curtis Opera Theatre, advises the company on
repertoire planning, casting, composer support and the Curtis Institute
of Music/Opera Philadelphia partnership. Artist and curator Kristy Edmunds,
currently Executive and Artistic Director at the Center for the Art of
Performance at UCLA, helps shape ways to incorporate contemporary
artistic practice from other forms and genres and provides guidance on
festival O programming and structure.
“We are honored and thrilled to have Lawrence Brownlee step into this prominent role at Opera Philadelphia,” said David B. Devan.
“This partnership is born out of a genuine alignment between our
company goals of inspiring artists and audiences, and an artist who has
an authentic track record as a performer with nearly every leading
international opera house and festival all over the world. Larry has
been contributing to our company on stage since 2006, and helped to
champion the creation of the chamber opera Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD
in 2015. We believe that in this new position, he will play a key role
in making Philadelphia the stage for the future of opera, where diverse
audiences gather to share an experience and amplify human connectedness.
We are also excited to work with Larry to commission a new opera which
he will perform in a future season.”
Brownlee, whose appearance in 2015’s YARDBIRD
marked Opera Philadelphia’s first world premiere in 40 years, joins the
company at a time of great artistic output. The 2016 world premiere of Breaking the Waves by
composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek “stands among the
best twenty-first-century American operas yet produced” (Opera News). The company will present three world premieres in September 2017 as part of its first annual festival, O17: Elizabeth Cree, from composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell, at the Perelman Theater; The Wake World, by composer in residence David Hertzberg, to be staged in the Barnes Foundation; and We Shall Not Be Moved,
by composer Daniel Bernard Roumain, librettist Marc Bamuthi Joseph and
director Bill T. Jones, which premieres at the Wilma Theater in
September before making its New York premiere at The Apollo Theater and
its European premiere at Hackney Empire in London, both in October.
Brownlee’s
voice, praised by NPR as “an instrument of great beauty and
expression…perfectly suited to the early nineteenth century operas of
Rossini and Donizetti,” has brought him to the top of opera world,
ushering in “a new golden age in high male voices” (The New York Times). His recent recording of Virtuoso Rossini Arias earned a GRAMMY™ Award nomination, and prompted New Yorker critic Alex Ross to ask, “Is there a finer Rossini tenor than Lawrence Brownlee?”
Recently
nominated for “Male Singer of the Year” in the 2017 International Opera
Awards, he has performed with nearly every leading international opera
house and festival, including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala,
the Bavarian State Opera, Royal Opera Covent Garden, The Vienna State
Opera, Opera National de Paris, Opernhaus Zürich, the Berlin State
Opera, Teatro Real Madrid, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, and the
festivals of Salzburg and Baden Baden.
Learn more at lawrencebrownlee.com
Retweeted
By Othalie G (@OthalieGraham)
Comment by email:
Fantastic, thanks Bill! Have a great weekend, Andrew [Andrew Ousley]
Retweeted
By Othalie G (@OthalieGraham)
Comment by email:
Fantastic, thanks Bill! Have a great weekend, Andrew [Andrew Ousley]
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