Brittany Renee Featured in Classical Singer Magazine
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- 4 hours ago
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Superstar soprano Brittany Renee was recently featured by Classical Singer Magazine in their "Artist Spotlight" series. The release coincided with the December 2 opening of Brittany's highest-profile role yet: Bess in The Metropolitan Opera's Porgy and Bess.
The article, written by Jonathan Blalock, features Brittany's meteoric rise at the Metropolitan Opera, from supplementary chorus to leading lady.
As a young singer in New York City studying and auditioning, Brittany’s day job was in the finance industry. She landed a position in The Metropolitan Opera’s extra chorus and soon sang an audition for leading roles in its mainstage productions. Arts administrator Paul Hopper recalls that pivotal moment: “I was immediately taken by her sizable and distinct instrument that oozed with beauty and expression. Our conversations culminated in her returning to the Met for a six-production, season-long contract.”
Peter Gelb also heralded her stunning trajectory: “Brittany Renee has gone from a relatively small supporting role in the Met premiere of Fire Shut Up in My Bones in 2021 to singing one of the title roles in Porgy and Bess this season, a meteoric rise that is a result of her beautiful voice and stunning stage presence.”
The feature also highlights Brittany's somewhat atypical path to stardom.
Her path wasn’t always clear, however. “Right after finishing my grad degree at Peabody Conservatory, I realized, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do!’ I knew I wanted to keep singing, but I wasn’t ready to jump into this young artist audition circuit. I was still figuring out things with my voice.” Soprano Martile Rowland connected with Renee at a summer program and she invited her back the following year.
“When I returned, she helped me fall in love with my voice and find my joy again in singing. She helped me clear away the conflicting opinions that I was receiving in college and focus only on my voice. For a few years, I literally had a lesson with her every single week. My routine consisted of my temp job and just consistently going and singing with her. It was such a pleasure.”
Also discussed is Brittany's approach to new roles and what it was like tackling the iconic role of Bess for the first time.
Brittany Renee’s patience and consistent study laid the groundwork for her flourishing international career. Her European leading role debut in Porgy and Bess at Teatro Regio Torino stretched her physically and emotionally, requiring vulnerability and courage to connect deeply with audiences. “I often ask myself, ‘Am I ready? Can I embody all the emotional nuances?’” she says.
“Stepping into Bess’s shoes for the first time was daunting but also exhilarating. It was my first international leading role and the most physically demanding one I’ve done. I’d previously sung comedic and smaller parts, so commanding such intensity pushed me in new ways artistically and emotionally. It’s a process, and mindset matters immensely. It was a key learning experience in giving my all, without inhibitions. I had to dig deep, tap into my vulnerability, and let go of my fear to connect with the audience.” Roles with rich emotional arcs continually challenge and inspire her, and she approaches each opportunity with a willingness to stretch herself.
Check out the full article below to learn all about Brittany' incredible career!
And don't miss her incredible performance as Bess, now through January 24 at the The Metropolitan Opera.
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