Awakenings

Angela Brown- It makes sense that such a commanding presence as she would be called to the art of opera, perhaps the most commanding art form of all. On her much anticipated visit to Baruch College, Brown revealed herself as a charismatic and incredibly lovable and entertaining woman, undoubtedly made for the stage, and even more so, for the spotlight.

Though she spoke to her audience at Baruch with a humbleness and modesty that came naturally and genuinely, Angela Brown has a lot to boast about. Raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, her upbringing seemed far away from the world of opera. Immersed in Baptist Gospel culture from childhood, she was always in love with music, but tended to turn away from opera, which she dismissed as Eurocentric and difficult to relate to. But when her education at Oakwood
College required her to take courses in opera, her love affair with this unlikely genre began.

From then on, Angela began her ascent to greatness in the realm of opera. Insisting that “Opera took to me, I didn’t take to it,” Angela Brown became absorbed in the passion and intensity of the art. Her persistence and dedication led her to audition seven times for a spot on the prestigious Metropolitan Opera National Council before finally landing one of the ten highly coveted positions on the council in 1997. Through hard times as a struggling artist, Angela continued to pursue her passion, and now, as the title character of Aida, she has achieved her vision.

Angela Brown’s charisma was apparent during her talk at Baruch College. If anyone possesses that enviable “it-factor,” it is this woman. However, it was also apparent that Brown’s true strength and uniqueness comes not only from her bubbly personality, but more importantly, from her courage to follow her dreams and do what makes her happy.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 19th, 2007 at 12:59 pm and is filed under