J'Nai Bridges facts for kids

Quick facts for kids J’Nai Bridges
Bridges at the Saint-Georges International Music Festival in 2019
Education	Charles Wright Academy
Alma mater	Manhattan School of Music Curtis Institute of Music
Occupation	Operatic mezzo-soprano
Awards	Marian Anderson Award, Grammy Award

J’Nai Bridges is a talented American singer. She sings opera, which is a type of musical play. J'Nai has won two Grammy Awards. She also won the Marian Anderson Award. She has performed at famous opera houses. These include the Metropolitan Opera. Some people even call her "The Beyoncé of opera"!

Early Life and Learning

J'Nai Bridges grew up in Lakewood, Washington. She was one of four children. Her family loved listening to Motown music. J'Nai also sang in church.

She went to high school at the Charles Wright Academy. This school is in Tacoma. At first, J'Nai focused on basketball. But then she took a choir class. She discovered her love for singing.

After high school, she decided to study music. She attended the Manhattan School of Music. Then she went to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. While learning, she was mentored by famous singer Renée Fleming. This happened at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Her Amazing Career

J'Nai Bridges looks up to many Black opera stars. These include Denyce Graves and Jessye Norman. J'Nai even sang at Jessye Norman's funeral.

First Big Performances

In 2012, J'Nai won the Marian Anderson Award. This led to her first performance. She sang at the Kennedy Center. In 2015, she competed in a big singing contest. It was called the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition.

In 2016, she played Suzuki in Madama Butterfly. This was at the San Diego Opera. There, she became friends with singer Latonia Moore. She also performed at the Los Angeles Opera. She played Nefertiti in the opera Akhnaten. This opera was written by Philip Glass.

Major Opera Roles

In 2017, J'Nai performed in a new opera. It was called Girls of the Golden West. She played Josefa Segovia. This opera premiered at the San Francisco Opera. In 2019, she performed the same role in Europe. This was in Amsterdam.

In June 2019, she returned to San Francisco. She sang the main role in Bizet's Carmen. Later that year, she made her debut. This was at the famous Metropolitan Opera. She reprised her role in Akhnaten. In March 2020, she debuted at the Washington National Opera. She played Delilah in Samson and Delilah.

During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic changed things. Live performances stopped. J'Nai started doing online programs. After the murder of George Floyd, she took action. She organized an online discussion. It featured Black opera singers. This was with the Los Angeles Opera.

She returned to the stage in January 2022. She performed in Carmen for the Palm Beach Opera. In March 2022, she performed with the National Philharmonic. They presented a new work. It was called "A Knee on the Neck." This piece honored George Floyd. Critics said J'Nai was "especially gripping."

In 2023, J'Nai was featured on PBS. It was for the series American Masters. The episode was called “In the Making.” She also reunited with her friend Latonia Moore. They performed a concert at San Diego Opera.

Awards and Recognition

J'Nai Bridges has won several important awards.