Débria Brown facts for kids
Débria M. Brown (born October 26, 1936 – died December 17, 2001) was an amazing American opera singer. She was a mezzo-soprano, which means she sang in a lower female voice range. Débria had a successful career all over the world for five decades! She was one of the first black opera singers to become widely famous. She helped break down barriers of racial prejudice in the opera world. Sometimes, she also acted in plays and on TV.
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Early Life and Training
Débria Brown was born in New Orleans. Her parents were Reverend Bennett G. and Eunice Brown. She attended Xavier University of Louisiana. There, she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 1958. In 1957, she sang the role of Cherubino in an opera called Le nozze di Figaro. This was the only opera directed by Norman Treigle. Later, she studied with Katherine Dunham in New York City. She received a special scholarship for her studies.
Starting Her Opera Career
In 1958, Débria Brown made her first professional opera appearance. This was with the New York City Opera. She sang the main role in Georges Bizet's opera, Carmen. Her mentor, Norman Treigle, sang opposite her as Escamillo.
She returned to the City Opera in 1961. There, she created the role of Tituba. This was for the first-ever performance of Robert Ward's opera, The Crucible. In 1958, she also performed at Carnegie Hall. She sang the role of Amenofi in a concert version of Mosè in Egitto.
International Performances
From 1962 to 1965, Débria Brown was a member of the Stadttheater Aachen in Germany. During this time, she also performed as a guest singer. She appeared in many other opera houses across Germany. From 1967 to 1970, she was part of the Staatsoper Stuttgart.
In 1969, she sang the role of Bess in George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. This performance took place at the Vienna Volksoper in Austria. She also performed at the Bregenzer Festspiele in 1971 and 1974. From 1972 to 1973, she was a member of the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe. In 1973, she performed at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival.
Later Career and Legacy
In 1992, Débria Brown became a Professor of Voice. She was also an Artist in Residence at the University of Houston. She held this important position until she passed away nine years later. Even at the time of her death, she was still performing. She had more opera performances planned in the United States. After she died, a live recording of her singing in Dominick Argento's Casanova's Homecoming was released.
Débria Brown was a very important singer. She helped open doors for many black opera singers. Her talent and hard work made a big difference in the world of opera.
