Donna Brown’s voice has been described as “pure, shimmering soprano” and “expressive nuanced singing, coupled with pure gleaming tone”.[1] She has performed on opera and concert stages in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. Her repertoire covers opera, oratorio, recital, and chamber music, as well as contemporary collaborations.
Studies
Brown studied voice, piano, and composition in Ottawa and voice performance at McGill University in Montreal. She moved to Paris to continue her studies with Noémie Pérugia on the interpretation of French Art Song. Brown studied vocal technique and opera with Daniel Ferro at the Fondation Royaumont in France, and German Lied at the Franz Schubert Institute in Baden bei Wien, Austria. Further studies included oratorio and opera in Salzburg with Edith Mathis, and belcanto technique in Venice with Randolf Mickelson.
Opera
Brown’s opera career began as Michaela in the Peter Brook production of La Tragédie de Carmen in 1981. The production played for three months in Paris at Peter Brook’s Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, and subsequently toured Europe.
Brown created two opera roles: the role of Chimène in the world premiere creation of Debussy’s unfinished opera Rodrigue et Chimène under the direction of Kent Nagano for the Opéra de Lyon in 1993[2], and the role of Scylla in Scylla et Glaucus, under the direction of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, for the Opéra de Lyon in 1986.
The Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer composed the piece ‘’Gitanjali’’ for Brown’s voice.[3] She performed ‘’Gitanjali’’ with the NAC orchestra for its world premiere at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in 1992, with further performances and a recording for CBC records.[4]
Brown teaches advanced healthy vocal technique and musicality.
She was a visiting professor at the Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, the Schola Cantorum de Caracas in Venezuela, and the Bachakademie in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. She taught at the University of Ottawa and is currently teaching at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal.
Discography
"Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras #5" Roberto Minczuk conductor. 2007. BIS
"Haydn Nelsonmesse; Theresienmesse" Sir John Eliot Gardiner conductor. 2002. Philips
"Debussy Rodrigue et Chimène. Lyon National Opera Orchestra. Kent Nagano conductor. 1995. Erato 4509-98508-2
"Fanny Mendelssohn Lieder & Trio" Françoise Tillard piano. 1992. Opus 111
"Brahms A German Requiem" Rilling conductor. 1991. Hänssler 98.966
"Handel/Mozart Der Messias" Rilling conductor. 1991. Hänssler 98.975
"Handel Saul" Gardiner conductor. 1991. Philips
"Leclair Scylla et Glaucus" Gardiner conductor. 1988. Erato 2292-45277-2
"Lully Miserere. La Chapelle Royale" Philippe Herreweghe conductor. 1985. Harmonia Mundi La Solothèque HMS 926013
"Requiem der Versöhnung" Rilling conductor. 1995. Haenssler 98.931
"Verdi Don Carlos" Antonio Pappano conductor. 1996 EMI 363.31
"A Journey of Longing" 21 Brahms songs with pianist Jane Coop.2015 Skylark Music Sky1501
"Maria, Margaret. Between Worlds" 2022. CMCCD 30522
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