Sarah Brightman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cavaliere
Sarah Brightman
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Brightman at the World Athletics Championships in Osaka in 2007
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| Born | 14 August 1960 Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England
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| Years active | 1978–present |
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| Relatives | Amelia Brightman (sister) |
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| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
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Sarah Brightman (born August 14, 1960) is a famous English singer and actress. She is known for her amazing voice, which can sing both classical and pop music. She is often called a "soprano" because of her high singing range.
Sarah started her career as a dancer in a group called Hot Gossip. She also released some disco songs on her own. In 1981, she began acting in musicals in London's West End. There, she met the famous composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. They later married.
She became a big star in musicals like Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. In Phantom, she was the very first actress to play the main role of Christine Daaé. The album of the original London cast of Phantom sold 40 million copies. This made it the best-selling musical album ever.
After her stage acting, Sarah Brightman focused on her music career. She worked with producer Frank Peterson. She became a pioneer in "classical crossover" music. This style mixes classical music with pop. She has sold over 25 million albums and two million DVDs worldwide. This makes her the world's best-selling soprano singer.
In 1996, Sarah sang a duet with Italian singer Andrea Bocelli called "Time to Say Goodbye". This song became a huge hit across Europe. It was the fastest-selling single in Germany, staying at number one for 14 weeks. It sold over three million copies there. Worldwide, it sold 12 million copies, becoming one of the best-selling songs of all time. Sarah has won over 200 gold and platinum awards in 38 countries.
Sarah Brightman is the only artist to sing the theme song at the Olympic Games twice. First, she sang "Amigos Para Siempre" with José Carreras at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. About one billion people watched this. Sixteen years later, in 2008, she sang "You and Me" with Chinese singer Liu Huan at the Beijing Olympics. This performance was seen by an estimated four billion people.
From 2012 to 2014, Sarah was a UNESCO Artist for Peace. This award recognized her work for charity and promoting cultural understanding. Since 2010, she has also been a global ambassador for Panasonic.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Music
Sarah Brightman was born in Berkhamsted, England. She is the oldest of six children. Her father was a businessman.
She started taking dance and piano lessons when she was just three years old. She loved performing in local shows and contests. At age 11, she got into the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. This school specializes in teaching performing arts.
Sarah also studied at other famous schools. These included the Elmhurst Ballet School and the Arts Educational School. She also attended the Royal College of Music.
In 1973, when she was 13, Sarah made her first stage appearance. She was in the musical I and Albert in London. She played one of Queen Victoria's daughters.
In 1976, she joined a dance group called Hot Gossip. The group had a disco hit in 1978 called "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper". This song sold half a million copies and reached number six in the UK charts. Sarah also released some solo disco songs.
A Star on Stage: Musicals and More
Starting in Musicals
In 1981, Sarah Brightman tried out for a new musical called Cats. It was created by Andrew Lloyd Webber. She got the role of Jemima.
After a year in Cats, Sarah took on other roles. She played Kate in The Pirates of Penzance. She also starred as Tara Treetops in Masquerade. In 1982, she played the main role in the children's opera Nightingale.
Andrew Lloyd Webber saw her in Nightingale and was very impressed. They married in 1984. Sarah then appeared in many of his musicals. These included The Phantom of the Opera and Song and Dance.
In 1985, Sarah's song "Pie Jesu" was a big success. It sold 25,000 copies on its first day. It reached number 3 on the charts, even though it was sung in Latin. Lloyd Webber wrote a special piece of music called Requiem for his father. Sarah sang in its premiere in New York City. This performance was filmed by the BBC and PBS. The album became the UK's best-selling classical album that year. Sarah also received a Grammy nomination for it.
Becoming Christine in Phantom
Sarah Brightman starred as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote this role especially for her. He insisted that Sarah play Christine on Broadway.
The American actors' union first said no. They had a rule that non-American performers had to be international stars. Lloyd Webber promised to cast an American in a big role in his next musical. This helped Sarah get permission to perform.
Phantom was a huge hit. It sold $17 million in tickets before it even opened on January 26, 1988. The original cast album was the first British musical album to reach number one on the music charts. It has now sold over 40 million copies worldwide. This makes it the best-selling cast album of all time.
After Phantom, Sarah toured, performing Lloyd Webber's music. She also recorded two solo albums. One was The Trees They Grow So High (1988). The other was The Songs That Got Away (1989). She also sang "Make Believe" for the children's film Granpa.
In 1990, Sarah and Andrew Lloyd Webber separated. After their divorce, Sarah continued to perform. She starred in Lloyd Webber's Aspects in London and on Broadway. Her next solo album, As I Came of Age, featured folk-rock and musical theatre songs.
Solo Music Career: A New Sound
Starting a Solo Path
In 1992, Sarah sang "Amigos Para Siempre" at the Barcelona Olympic Games with José Carreras. After this, Sarah decided to focus on her solo music. She wanted to work with Frank Peterson, a producer from the German band Enigma.
Their first album together was Dive (1993). It was a pop album with a water theme. It included a cover of "Captain Nemo". The album earned her first Gold award in Canada.
Their next album was Fly (1995). It was a pop-rock album. It featured the song "A Question of Honor". This song mixed electronic, rock, and classical music. It was introduced at a World Boxing Championship match in Germany.
Global Success with Timeless
In 1997, Sarah released Timeless/Time to Say Goodbye. This album became her biggest seller. It went gold, platinum, or multi-platinum in 21 countries. It sold over 1.4 million copies in the US. It topped the Billboard Top Classical Crossover Albums chart for 35 weeks.
The main song from the album, "Time to Say Goodbye", was a duet with Andrea Bocelli. It became a huge international hit. It sold over 3 million copies in Germany alone. The album eventually sold over 12 million copies worldwide.
In 1998, Sarah produced her own TV special for PBS. It was called Sarah Brightman: In Concert and was filmed at the Royal Albert Hall. That same year, she sang traditional Christmas songs in A Gala Christmas in Vienna with Plácido Domingo.
She also performed at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday celebration. She sang songs from The Phantom of the Opera with Antonio Banderas and Michael Ball.
After Timeless, Sarah released Eden in 1998. She chose each song herself. She even convinced composer Ennio Morricone to let her add lyrics to his song "Gabriel's Oboe". This became "Nella Fantasia". Eden reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Top Classical Crossover Albums chart. It was certified Gold in the United States.
Continued International Fame
In 2000, Sarah released La Luna. This album included pop, jazz, and opera songs. It reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Top Internet Albums chart. It became her best-selling album in Asia.
At her 2000 La Luna concert for PBS, Sarah sang "There for Me" with Josh Groban. By the end of 2001, Billboard magazine called Sarah the most important classical crossover artist from the UK.
In 2001, Sarah released Classics. This album was a collection of her best songs. It also had seven new tracks. It became her most successful release in Japan at the time.
Her 2003 album Harem had a different sound. It was inspired by Middle Eastern and dance music. Sarah worked with artists like Ofra Haza and Kazem al-Saher on this album.
Harem reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Classical Crossover Albums chart. The title track's remix became a No. 1 dance/club single. The song "Free" also became a Top-10 hit.
Sarah's albums Eden, La Luna, and Harem were followed by big world tours. These tours were very theatrical, like her stage shows. In 2000 and 2001, Sarah was one of the most popular British performers in the US. Her concerts earned millions of dollars.
In 2004, the Harem World Tour made $60 million and sold 700,000 tickets. Television specials for PBS helped Sarah become very well known in the US. Her concert for Eden was one of PBS's most successful fundraising events.
Later Career and Special Performances
Diva, Symphony, and the Olympics
On October 3, 2006, Sarah released a DVD of her music videos called Diva: The Video Collection. The CD, The Singles Collection, was released on the same day. This was her first greatest hits album in the United States. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Classical Crossover Albums chart. In Japan, it was the best-selling classical album of 2007.
On July 1, 2007, Sarah performed at the Concert for Diana in London. This event celebrated the life of Princess Diana. Sarah sang "All I Ask of You" with Josh Groban. About 15 million people in the UK watched the concert. It was broadcast to over 500 million homes worldwide.
On July 7, 2007, Sarah sang four songs at the Live Earth Concert Series. She also debuted her song "Running" at the 2007 IAAF Championships in Japan.
On January 29, 2008, Sarah released Symphony. This was her first album in five years. It was influenced by gothic music. It became her most successful album on Billboard's "Top 200 Albums" chart. It was also No. 1 on "Top Internet Albums" and "Top Classical Crossover Albums".
The album featured duets with Andrea Bocelli, Fernando Lima, and KISS singer Paul Stanley. On January 16, 2008, she performed songs from her new album at Vienna's Stephansdom Cathedral.
Sarah performed at the United States Memorial Day concert on May 25, 2008. This concert was held in Washington, D.C. It was broadcast live on PBS. Sarah also made her film debut as Blind Mag in the musical film Repo! The Genetic Opera.
On August 8, 2008, Sarah sang the Olympic theme song, "You and Me". She sang it with Chinese star Liu Huan in both Mandarin and English. This was at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. Over five billion people watched this performance.
Sarah released her first holiday album, A Winter Symphony, on November 4, 2008. It included Christmas favorites like "Silent Night". It also featured a duet with Fernando Lima on "Ave Maria".
To support her albums, Sarah started "The Symphony World Tour" in Autumn 2008. This tour used virtual and holographic stage sets.
Concerts and UNESCO Work
The concert Symphony: Live in Vienna was released worldwide. It featured Sarah's performance at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna in 2008.
Sarah's music was also featured in the Japanese film Amarufi: Megami no hôshû (Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess). For this film, she released an album in Japan called Amalfi – Sarah Brightman Love Songs. It became Japan's best-selling classical album of 2009.
Sarah performed "The Concert of the Pyramid" at Chichen Itza in Mexico. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2010, she toured Asia, performing in Japan, China, and South Korea.
On November 3, 2010, Sarah sang at the Tōdai-ji Buddhist temple in Japan. This temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The concert was recorded and shown on TV.
In early 2012, Sarah received the UNESCO Artist for Peace Award. This was for her work in humanitarian causes and promoting cultural understanding. She also became Panasonic's global brand ambassador. She starred in their "The World Heritage Special" campaign with UNESCO.
On October 10, 2012, Sarah announced her plan to become a space tourist. She intended to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). She planned to pay about £34 million for the trip herself.
On April 16, 2013, Sarah released her eleventh studio album, Dreamchaser. This album was inspired by her dream of going to space. Critics praised the album. It became her seventh No. 1 album on the Billboard Top Classical Albums chart.
In 2013, Sarah went on the Dreamchaser World Tour. She performed in North America, Asia, and South America. The tour was very successful. On June 6, she filmed a new PBS TV special called Sarah Brightman: Dreamchaser in Concert.
In 2014, she began training for her space journey. However, on May 13, 2015, she canceled her trip. She said it was for family reasons.
Recent Achievements
On June 2, 2016, Sarah received the 'Cavaliere' decoration from Italy. This award recognized her amazing voice and how she helped spread Italian language and culture worldwide.
On July 6, 2016, Sarah released her eighth collection album, Gala – The Collection. This album was released only in Japan for her tour, Gala: An Evening with Sarah Brightman. She performed 25 shows across three continents.
In March 2017, Sarah performed at the Starmus Festival in honor of Professor Stephen Hawking. On January 7, 2017, she was the godmother for Richard Branson's new ship, MV Seabourn Encore.
On March 27, 2017, Sarah co-headlined the Royal Christmas Gala tour. She performed with other artists in 23 European cities.
On June 7, 2018, Sarah announced she would be a judge on a TV show in Shanghai. The show was looking for the first Chinese Phantom for The Phantom of the Opera. The winner would perform in China and possibly in London or New York.
On September 10, 2018, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hertfordshire. This was for her great contributions to music and theatre.
On September 17, 2018, Sarah announced her fifteenth album, Hymn. It was released on November 9, 2018. The digital song "Miracle (Sarah's Version)" reached the top 10 on iTunes classical charts in 15 countries. Sarah also announced a world tour for Hymn. It included 125 shows across five continents. She returned to London's Royal Albert Hall for the first time in over 20 years.
In 2022, Sarah became a judge on the talent show Yoshiki Superstar Project X. In September 2023, she was in the music documentary film Yoshiki: Under the Sky.
In October 2023, it was announced that Sarah would play the lead role of Norma Desmond. This was for the 2024 Australian season of Sunset Boulevard. The show started in Melbourne in May 2024. It then moved to the Sydney Opera House in August 2024.
Her Music and Voice
Sarah Brightman trained her voice with top teachers. These included Elizabeth Hawes from the Trinity College of Music and Ellen Faull from Juilliard. She can sing very high notes, reaching an F6.
David Caddick, a conductor for Phantom, said Sarah has two voices. He explained that she can sing with a pop sound. But she can also sing with a beautiful, high classical soprano voice. He noted that she can even reach an F6, which is very impressive.
Sarah often uses both her pop and classical voices in the same song. For example, in "Anytime, Anywhere" from Eden, she starts with a classical voice. She then switches to a pop voice and finishes with her classical voice.
Sarah's music is usually called "classical crossover." This means it mixes classical music with other styles like pop or rock. Many people say she helped make this type of music popular.
Her music is influenced by artists like David Bowie and Pink Floyd. Her albums include opera songs by composers like Puccini. She also sings pop songs by artists like Kansas ("Dust in the Wind") and Dido ("Here with Me"). She sings in many languages, including English, Spanish, French, Latin, Italian, and Japanese.
Helping Others: Charity Work
Sarah Brightman is dedicated to helping others. On February 8, 2012, she became a UNESCO "Artist for Peace" Ambassador. She works with Panasonic on their UNESCO World Heritage Centre projects. She stars in their "The World Heritage Special" campaign.
In 2012, the Brightman STEM Scholarship program was started. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This program helps young women in the US study STEM subjects in college.
In November 2013, Sarah donated US$533,000 to people affected by Hurricane Ingrid in Mexico. This was all the money from her sold-out show in Mexico City.
On October 30, 2013, Sarah joined the Advisory Council for the Challenger Center. This group helps teach kids about science and space. Sarah hopes to inspire children to explore space.
In April 2014, Sarah helped with Symfunny for Parkinson's UK. This event raised money for research to find a cure for Parkinson's disease.
In July 2015, the first Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Sarah Brightman Music Scholarships were given out. These scholarships help students study music at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Awards and Recognition
Sarah Brightman has received over 180 Gold and Platinum sales awards. These awards come from over 40 countries.
On June 2, 2016, she was given the 'Cavaliere' decoration by Italy. This is a high honor.
| Awards show | Nomination(s) | Categories | Results |
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| 1986 Grammy Awards | (Herself) |
Best New Classical Artist | Nominated |
| 1988 Drama Desk Awards | The Phantom of the Opera | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Nominated |
| 1996 Echo Awards | (Herself) |
Best Female Artist | Nominated |
| 1996 RSH Gold Awards | (Herself) |
Best Female Artist | Won |
| 1997 Echo Awards | (Herself) |
Best Female Artist | Nominated |
| 1998 Echo Awards | Time to Say Goodbye |
Best Song of the Year | Won |
| 1998 Golden Lion Awards | (Herself) |
Best Live Performance | Won |
| 1998 Goldene Europa Awards | (Herself) |
Best Female Artist | Won |
| 1999 Czechoslovakian Grammy | (Herself) |
Singer of the Year | Won |
| 1999 Echo Awards | (Herself) |
Best Female Artist | Nominated |
| 1999 The Point Trophy | One Night in Eden Tour |
Best Tour of the Year | Won |
| 2001 New Age Voice Music Awards | La Luna |
Best Vocal Album | Won |
| 2004 Arabian Music Awards | The War Is Over (with Kazim Al Saher) |
Best Collaboration | Won |
| 2004 Arabian Music Awards | (Herself) |
Best Female Artist | Won |
| 2005 New York Film Festival | Harem: A Desert Fantasy |
Best Music Documentary | Won |
| 2005 New York Film Festival | Time to Say Goodbye |
Best Music Video | Won |
| 2007 The 21st Japan Gold Disc Award | Diva: The Singles Collection |
Classical Album of the Year | Won |
| 2009 The 23rd Japan Gold Disc Award | A Winter Symphony |
Classical Album of the Year | Won |
| 2009 Lunas del Auditorio | Symphony: Live in Vienna |
Best Pop Album in Foreign Language | Nominated |
| 2010 The 24th Japan Gold Disc Award | Amalfi – Sarah Brightman Love Songs |
Classical Album of the Year | Won |
| 2010 Lunas del Auditorio | (Herself) |
Best Artist in Foreign Language | Nominated |
| 2013 Shorty Awards | (Herself) |
Social Media Best Singer | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 1998 | Sarah Brightman | Guinness World Records Entry – Germany's Best-Selling Single of All Time (Time to Say Goodbye) | Won |
| 1998 | Sarah Brightman | UNESCO Hand-in-Hand Award | Won |
| 2001 | Sarah Brightman | Golden Key to the City of Chicago | Won |
| 2003 | Sarah Brightman | Media Control Award – Biggest Hit of All Time (Time to Say Goodbye) | Won |
| 2004 | Sarah Brightman | Golden Key to the City of Istanbul | Won |
| 2012 | Sarah Brightman | UNESCO Artist for Peace Award | Won |
| 2016 | Sarah Brightman | Cavaliere of the Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana Award | Won |
| 2022 | Sarah Brightman | Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame under the category of live performance | Won |
Stage Credits
Musicals
- I and Albert (as Princess Victoria and street waif), 1973 Piccadilly Theatre, London
- Cats (as Jemima), 1981 New London Theatre
- Masquerade (as Tara Treetops), 1982 Young Vic
- Nightingale (as Nightingale), 1982 Buxton Festival and the Lyric, Hammersmith
- Song and Dance (as The Girl/Emma), Palace Theatre in London on 28 April 1984
- The Phantom of the Opera (as Christine Daaé), 1986 Her Majesty's Theatre London, 1988 Majestic Theatre Broadway
- Aspects of Love (as Rose Vibert), Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway in December 1990, Prince of Wales Theatre in London in 1991, and Wilshire Theatre in Los Angeles in March 1993
- Sunset Boulevard (as Norma Desmond), 2024 Princess Theatre, Melbourne and Sydney Opera House, and in 2025, Singapore and Chinese tour
Operetta
- The Pirates of Penzance (as Kate), 1982
- The Merry Widow (as Valencienne), 1985
Plays
- Trelawny of the "Wells" (as Rose Trelawny), 1992 Harold Pinter Theatre
- Relative Values (as Miranda Frayle), 1993 Chichester Festival and Savoy Theatre
- Dangerous Obsession (as Sally Driscoll), 1994 Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke
- The Innocents (as Miss Giddens), 1995 Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke
Filmography
- Song and Dance, 1984 film performed live on stage.
- Granpa, 1989 animated children's film, singing "Make Believe" over the end credits
- Brokedown Palace, 1999 film, singing "Deliver Me"
- Zeit der Erkenntnis, 2000 German feature film, as herself
- Repo! The Genetic Opera, 2008 feature film, as Blind Mag
- Amarufi: Megami no hôshû (Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess), 2009 feature film (Japan), as herself
- First Night, 2010 feature comedy film, as Celia
- The Phantom of the Opera, 2011 25th anniversary film performed live at the Royal Albert Hall, as herself
DVD Live Concerts
- Sarah Brightman: In Concert
- A Gala Christmas in Vienna
- One Night in Eden
- La Luna: Live in Concert
- The Harem World Tour: Live from Las Vegas
- Symphony: Live in Vienna – Recorded at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna
- Dreamchaser in Concert
- Hymn: Sarah Brightman in Concert
- A Christmas Symphony (featuring Aled Jones) – This is also her second concert where she invited Andrew Lloyd Webber as one of her special guests. Recorded at Christ Church, Spitalfields.
Selected Discography
Studio Albums
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Albums with Lloyd Webber
Compilation Albums
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Tours
- "A Timeless Evening with Sarah Brightman" (UK and Germany) 1997
- "One Night in Eden Tour" 1999 (Worldwide)
- "La Luna World Tour" 2000–2001 (Worldwide)
- "Harem World Tour" 2004–2005 (2004: Worldwide, 2005: Mini-Tour in Japan)
- "The Symphony World Tour" 2008–2009 (Worldwide)
- "Sarah Brightman in Concert" October 2009 (Latin America)
- "Sarah Brightman in Concert with Orchestra" October 2010 (Asia)
- "Dreamchaser World Tour" 2013–2014 (Worldwide)
- "Gala: An Evening with Sarah Brightman" 2016 (Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Mexico, Indonesia)
- "Royal Christmas Gala" – co-headlining concert tour with Gregorian, Fernando Varela, Mario Frangoulis, and Narcis; November – December 2017 (Europe)
- "Hymn: Sarah Brightman In Concert" 2018–2020 (Worldwide)
- "A Christmas Symphony" 2021 (USA) 2022 (Asia) 2023 (Canada/USA) 2024 (USA/Mexico)
- "A Starlight Symphony" – featuring special guest Yoshiki – 2022 (USA and Mexico)
See also
In Spanish: Sarah Brightman para niños
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart
- List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
