Measha Brueggergosman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Measha Brueggergosman ONB
Measha Brueggergosman at 2014 CFC Annual BBQ
Born	Measha Gosman (1977-06-28) June 28, 1977 (age 48) Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Occupation	Singer, stage actress
Spouse(s)	Markus Bruegger ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2018)​ Stephen Lee ​ (m. 2021)​
Children	2

Measha Brueggergosman–Lee is a talented Canadian singer. She is known for her powerful voice as a soprano, performing in both operas and concerts. Measha has performed all over the world and has won many awards for her music. Her recordings of classical and popular songs have also received special recognition.

About Measha Brueggergosman

Measha Brueggergosman performing in September 2009

Measha Gosman was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, on June 28, 1977. From a young age, she loved to sing. She started singing in her local church choir when she was a child. She also began studying voice and piano at age seven.

Measha's Early Training

As a teenager, Measha took singing lessons in her hometown. She also spent summers learning at special music programs. These included scholarships at the Boston Conservatory and a choir camp in Rothesay, New Brunswick. She studied with a Canadian soprano named Wendy Nielsen for a year. After that, she went to the University of Toronto to earn a music degree. Measha then moved to Germany for five years. There, she completed her Master's degree at the Robert Schumann Music College in Düsseldorf.

Discovering Her Family History

In 2007, Measha learned about her family's interesting past in Canada and the United States. Her ancestors, John and Rose Gosman, were African Americans who escaped slavery during the American Revolution. They found freedom by going to the British side. After the war, the British helped many Black Loyalists, including John and Rose, move to Nova Scotia. Measha's family eventually settled in Fredericton. She learned about this history on a TV show called Who Do You Think You Are. Genetic tests suggest her father's ancestors might have come from the Bassa people in Cameroon, Africa.

Measha's Amazing Career

Measha Brueggergosman has had a very successful career as a singer and actress.

Early Performances and Opera Roles

When she was 20, Measha played the main character in a new opera called Beatrice Chancy. This opera was about a slave girl in 19th-century Nova Scotia. Critics and audiences really liked Measha's performance. The opera was even filmed for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in 2000.

Measha has performed with many famous orchestras across Canada. These include the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed internationally in the United States, Germany, and other countries. She has appeared in well-known operas like Elektra and Turandot. She also sang in the Verdi Requiem with famous conductors.

In 2002, she was the main soprano singer in the first Canadian performance of Krzysztof Penderecki's Credo. The composer himself directed this performance.

Award-Winning Recordings and Special Events

In 2005, Measha was a soloist on a recording of William Bolcom's Songs of Innocence and Experience. This recording won three Grammy Awards, including Best Classical Album.

In July 2007, she performed at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. She sang in a 'Phantom of the Opera' medley and closed the show with "Ave Maria."

One of her most famous performances was at the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Vancouver. She sang the Olympic Hymn in both English and French. This showed Canada's two official languages.

Television and Acting Roles

In 2012, Measha was a judge on the Canadian reality show Canada's Got Talent. She has also acted in TV shows like Murdoch Mysteries and in films such as Brown Girl Begins. In 2021, she created a short film called Forgotten Coast. This film explored Black Canadian history in Nova Scotia.

Helping Others: Charitable Work

Measha Brueggergosman is a member of Artists Against Racism, a Canadian charity.

In 2007, she became a Goodwill Ambassador for the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF). This charity works to improve health in Africa. Measha traveled to a village in East Africa to share her music with children. She said the trip changed her life, and she continues to work with AMREF today.

Measha's Personal Life

Measha married Markus Brügger, who was an exchange student from Germany. They met in high school. When they married, they combined their last names to Brueggergosman. They have two sons. They divorced in 2018. In 2021, she married jazz guitarist Steve Lee.

Measha has faced some health challenges. In June 2009, she had open heart surgery and took time to recover. She returned to performing a few months later. In June 2019, she had another successful open heart surgery.

Awards and Recognition

Measha has won many important awards for her singing. She won the Grand Prize at the 2009 Jeunesses Musicales Montreal International Musical Competition. She also won First Prize at the International Vocal Competition 's-Hertogenbosch in 2002. She has been a prizewinner at other major competitions around the world.

She has received grants from the Canada Council and Chalmers Performing Arts. Measha has also been nominated for Juno Awards twice. In 2008, she won a Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Vocal or Choral Performance for her album Surprise.

In 2015, she was featured in a TV series called Songs of Freedom. This show followed her as she explored her African heritage and performed African-American spiritual music.

In 2017, she was given the Order of New Brunswick, a special honor in her home province. She also received an honorary doctorate from Concordia University.

Discography

See also

In Spanish: Measha Brueggergosman para niños