Concert and Artist Series for Spring 2013

Opera Singer Angela Brown! Friday, February 8, 2013

CAC Presents An Evening with International Opera Singer, Angela Brown

Columbus, MS, February 8, 2013 – The Columbus Arts Council is pleased to announce their 2013 Concert and Artist Series performance “Arias, Art Songs and Spirituals—An Evening with International Opera Singer, Angela Brown.”  This very special concert takes place at 7 pm, Friday, February 8, 2013 in Whitfield Hall’s Rent Auditorium on the campus of Mississippi University for Women, Columbus, Mississippi.
Ms. Brown has declared herself “a trailblazer on a mission to bring operatic and classical vocal performance to a diverse audience.” Carrying out this mission, the Friday evening program of “Arias, Arts Songs and Spirituals” includes classic opera arias to more contemporary pieces such as a song cycle

written especially for her by American composer Richard Danielpour and celebrated author Maya Angelou.

An inspired interpreter of African -American spirituals, Ms. Brown includes several of her soul-stirring renditions of these traditional treasures.

In addition to the Friday evening concert, the noted opera singer will perform programs for school children and conduct a master vocal class for MUW students.  The master class takes place at the Connie Sills Kossen Auditorium in Poindexter Hall on the Mississippi University for Women Campus, Tuesday, February 5, 6-8 pm and is open to the public for auditing.     Anyone interested in scheduling school students to attend the Wednesday, February 6 Young People’s Artist Series performance “Opera from a Sistah’s Point of View” at 9:30 AM, please contact the Columbus Arts Council at 662-328-2787.  

Internationally renowned singer Angela Brown personifies the ideal American dramatic soprano: sheer vocal power, dramatic interpretations, and a personality larger than life.   Her highly successful Metropolitan Opera debut in 2004 sparked a media excitement  from such as 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 says:   “The future of opera has arrived!” Ms. Brown has also been featured on the cover of The New York Times, in national publications such as Oprah, Classical Singer, Essence, Reader’s Digest and Psychology Today, and has performed on CNN Worldwide and Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion.

Angela Brown has carried her powerful voice and message all over the world—from Indiana to Alabama, Pennsylvania to Georgia, Michigan to California, and from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, New Zeland and Africa. The Columbus Arts Council and event sponsors --The National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts, Mississippi University for Women, Fairfield Inns and Suites and WCBI-TV-- are very proud to bring this very special event to the community. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience this incredible performer.

Angela Brown takes the stage at 7 PM at Rent Auditorium on the Mississippi University for Women Campus located at 1100 College Street, Columbus on Friday, February 8, 2013.  Adult tickets are $20, children and college students with valid ID are $10 and MUW faculty, staff and students are admitted free with a valid ID. Tickets can be purchased at the Rosenzweig Arts Center, 501 Main Street in downtown Columbus, or online at www.columbus-arts.org.  Please contact the Columbus Arts Council for more information by calling 662-328-ARTS (2787) or emailing columbus.ms.arts@gmail.com.  For more information on Angela Brown, please visit www.angelambrown.com.

Performance will start 7pm at Rent Auditorium on MUW Campus.

Adults (18 and up) will then be $20 after January 25th

Children and college students with valid ID: $10

MUW faculty, staff and students will be free with valid ID

Sponsored in part by National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts, Mississippi University for Women Resource Development & President's Office, Fairfield Inn and Suites. 

Angela Brown personifies the ideal American dramatic soprano:  sheer vocal power; luxurious finesse; shimmering, high pianissimos; and a charming personality larger than life.  Her highly successful Metropolitan Opera debut in 2004 sparked a media excitement with 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,”CBS Evening News: “the future of opera has arrived,” and features on the front page of The New York Times and in Oprah Magazine, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Classical Singer, Reader’s Digest, and Psychology Today.  In fall 2009, Angela received the Governor’s Arts Award from the Governor of Indiana, a Spirit of the Prairie Award from Conner Prairie in Indiana, and was inducted into the Indianapolis Public Schools Hall of Fame.

Miss Brown is a trailblazer on a mission to bring operatic and classical vocal performance to a diverse audience.  Her witty and inspired recital program titled “Opera… from a Sistah’s Point of View” dispels the myths of opera through lively commentary on opera plots and characters, show-stopping arias, poignant art songs and moving spirituals.  A live performance of “Opera… from a Sistah’s Point of View” was recorded in October 2010 at the Musical Arts Center of Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, and is available for download via TheWeatherChannelMusic.com, Amazon.com and Itunes.com.

A noted interpreter of African-American spirituals, Miss Brown produced Mosaic, a collaborative recording featuring spirituals with guitar and piano, in October 2004 that is available from Albany Records.  A live Christmas concert with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and Indianapolis Opera Chorus was recorded by WFYI-PBS in 2005 and airs on PBS television stations throughout the United States each Christmas season.  She guest starred on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor radio show in June 2009.  In July 2010, Angela was presented in Shanghai at the World Expo 2010 as a guest of USA Pavilion and the United States Consulate.  Angela was the only opera singer invited to perform for the USA Pavilion.  She also opened the One Nation Working Together Rally in Washington, DC, by singing the National Anthem on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and was the guest soloist with Marvin Hamlisch for The Indianapolis Prize gala.

Other performances this season include Madison Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, The Trumpet Awards and Sun Valley Writers’ Conference.  Last season Miss Brown returned to her hometown for the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos with Indianapolis Opera.  She joined the Pittsburgh Symphony to sing the world premier of the song cycle, “A Woman’s Life,” written especially for her by American composer Richard Danielpour and celebrated author Dr. Maya Angelou. Angela made her debut with Hamburg Opera and Vienna State Opera as Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera.  She reprised “A Woman’s Life” with The Philadelphia Orchestra in February and sang Verdi Requiem with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.  Angela sang Serena in New Jersey State Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess.  This summer she made appearances for a night of opera at The Mann Center in Philadelphia and a special gala with Cincinnati Opera.

In 2008-2009, Miss Brown sang Aida for Cape Town Opera in South Africa and Aida for the Latvian National Symphony in Riga and Tallinn, Estonia.  She performed a special program for Cincinnati Opera’s annual gala in November and celebrated Christmas with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Alabama and the Southwest Michigan Symphony.  In January 2009, she sang Aida at Deutsche Oper Berlin and in February she followed with performances of Leonora in Il Trovatore for The Atlanta Opera.  Spring held performances at Carnegie Hall for Jessye Norman’s HONOR! Festival and Un Ballo in Maschera for National Opera of Paris.  Last summer she sang Elisabetta in Don Carlo for Cincinnati Opera and performed with the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras.

Miss Brown returned to the Metropolitan Opera to sing the 2007 season premiere and fall performances of Aida and the 2008 spring performances of Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera.  Other engagements last season included her first appearance in the role of Leonora in a concert version of La Forza del Destino with James Conlon for the Cincinnati May Festival.  She was chosen by The Library of Congress as the featured soloist for the National Celebration of the Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln in February and by the NAACP for their annual conference in 2008.

In 2005, Miss Brown created the role of Cilla for the world premiere of Margaret Garner, a new opera by Richard Danielpour and Toni Morrison.  She performed this role for all three commissioning companies:  Michigan Opera Theatre, Cincinnati Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia.  The 2003-2004 season encompassed four highly successful and critically acclaimed role debuts as Ariadne, Elisabetta (Don Carlo) and Leonora (Il Trovatore) for Opera Company of Philadelphia and Cassandra in Taneyev’s Agamemnon for her Carnegie Hall debut.

Miss Brown’s previous solo appearances include: Metropolitan Opera; National Opera of Paris; Bilbao Opera, Spain; Teatro La Fenice; Opera Company of Philadelphia; Cincinnati Opera; Opera Pacific; Florentine Opera; Indianapolis Opera; Michigan Opera Theatre; Dayton Opera; Florida Grand Opera; The Philadelphia Orchestra; Auckland Philharmonia; Latvian National Symphony; Festival of St. Denis, France; Indianapolis Symphony; Cincinnati Pops; Brevard Festival Orchestra; Roanoke Symphony; El Paso Symphony; Knoxville Symphony; Chautauqua Institution; the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.  Angela has performed in recital throughout the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Africa.

A 1997 National Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions Winner, Miss Brown received her Bachelor of Music degree in voice from Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, where she studied with Ginger Beazley.  She attended the Indiana University School of Music as a student in the studio of Virginia Zeani.  Miss Brown received the Indiana University African American Arts Institute’s inaugural Herman C. Hudson Alumni Award in 2006, given annually to recognize outstanding contributions made in the arts by former members of the Institute.  Miss Brown is featured in “Nineteen Stars of Indiana,” a book by Michael S. Maurer about nineteen, living Hoosier women with successful and inspirational life stories, released by Indiana University Press in December 2008.

Awards

2009 Indiana Governor’s Arts Award
2009 Spirit of the Prairie Award
2009 Indianapolis Public Schools Hall of Fame
2001 Altamura/Enrico Caruso International Voice Competition
Audience Award Winner and Co-winner of Grand First Prize
2000 Richard Tucker Career Grant Finalist
1998 Sullivan Foundation Grant Winner
1998 G.B. Viotti Verdi Vocal Competition Winner, Italy
1997 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Winner
1997 Finalist Birgit Nilsson Prize, Carnegie Hall
1996 Winner of The Stewart Awards, Oklahoma City
1995 Semi-finalist – Marion Anderson International Competition

http://www.angelambrown.com/

Thank you National Endowment for the Arts!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [ON OR AFTER] January 3, 2013

Columbus Arts Council receives NEA grant to support Opera...from a Sistah's Point of View featuring soprano Angela Brown in performance and conducting workshops.

Columbus, MS: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced today that the Columbus Arts Council is one of 153 not-for-profit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Challenge America Fast-Track grant. Columbus Arts Council is recommended for a $10,000 grant to support Opera...from a Sistah's Point of View featuring soprano Angela Brown in performance and conducting workshops.

In this FY 2013 funding round, the NEA received 393 eligible Challenge America Fast-Track applications, requesting a total of $3,930,000.  The NEA will award 153 Challenge America Fast-Track grants totaling $1.53 million awarded to organizations in 41 states, Washington, DC, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These include 49 first-time Arts Endowment grantees. The Challenge America Fast-Track category offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to populations whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability.
“We are very excited to bring a little bit of Opera to Columbus, MS, “said Columbus Arts Council Executive Director, Tina Sweeten. “This grant will ensure that we can continue to bring quality performances to the community.” 

"The NEA was founded on the principle that the arts belong to all the people of the United States," said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. "We're proud that Challenge America Fast-Track grants bring more opportunities for arts engagement to underserved communities." 
See the complete listing of projects recommended for Challenge America Fast-Track grant support at www.arts.gov.

The Columbus Arts Council is a non-profit arts organization located at the Rosenzweig Arts Center, 501 Main Street in downtown Columbus, Mississippi. Their mission is to “present, promote, support, and inspire artists and creative endeavors.  The Council advocates a better understanding of and appreciation for the arts and their role in a diverse community.”   For more information about CAC please call 662-328-ARTS(2787) or visit www.columbus-arts.org.