Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, she made her West End musical theatre debut in Cats and met composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, whom she later married. She went on to star in several West End and Broadway musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera, where she originated the role of Christine Daaé. Her original London cast album of Phantom was released in CD format in 1987 and sold 40 million copies worldwide, making it the biggest-selling cast album ever.[2]
After retiring from stage acting and divorcing Lloyd Webber, Brightman resumed her music career with former Enigma producer Frank Peterson, this time as a classical crossover artist. She has been credited as the creator and remains among the most prominent performers of this genre, with worldwide sales of more than 25 million albums and two million DVDs, establishing herself as the world's best-selling soprano.[3][4][5][6]
Brightman's 1996 duet with the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, "Time to Say Goodbye", topped the charts all over Europe and became the highest and fastest-selling single of all time in Germany, where it stayed at the top of the charts for 14 consecutive weeks and sold over three million copies.[7][8] It subsequently became an international success, selling 12 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all-time.[9][10][11] She has collected over 200 gold and platinum record awards in 38 countries.[12] In 2010, she was named by Billboard the fifth most influential and best-selling classical artist of the 2000s decade in the US[13] and according to Nielsen SoundScan, she has sold 6.5million albums in the country.[14]
Brightman is the first artist to have been invited twice to perform the theme song at the Olympic Games, first at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games where she sang "Amigos Para Siempre" with the Spanish tenor José Carreras with an estimated global audience of one billion people, and 16 years later in 2008 in Beijing, this time with Chinese singer Liu Huan, performing the song "You and Me" to an estimated four billion people worldwide.[15]
In 2012, Brightman was appointed as the UNESCO Artist for Peace for the period 2012–2014, for her "commitment to humanitarian and charitable causes, her contribution, throughout her artistic career, to the promotion of cultural dialogue and the exchanges among cultures, and her dedication to the ideals and aims of the Organization".[16] Since 2010, Brightman has been Panasonic's global brand ambassador.[17]
Family and early life
Brightman is the eldest of six children of businessman Grenville Brightman (1934[18]–1992) and Paula Brightman, née Hall.[19] She was brought up in Little Gaddesden near Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England.[20] At the age of three she began taking dance and piano classes. She then went on to perform in local festivals and competitions.[21] At age 11, she successfully auditioned for the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, a school specialising in performing arts.[22]
In 1973, at the age of 13, Brightman made her theatrical debut in the musical I and Albert at the Piccadilly Theatre, London, playing one of Queen Victoria's daughters (Victoria). In 1976 she was recruited into Arlene Phillips' troupe Hot Gossip in 1977. The group had a disco hit in 1978 with "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper", which sold half a million and reached number six on the UK charts. She was also briefly with Pan's People after they parted with their host show Top of the Pops in 1976. Brightman, now solo, released more disco singles under her own label, Whisper Records, such as "Not Having That!" and a cover of the song "My Boyfriend's Back".[25] In 1979, Brightman appeared on the soundtrack of the film The World Is Full of Married Men and sang the song "Madam Hyde".
Enticed by a rave review, Lloyd Webber went to watch her in the show one evening and was greatly impressed by her performance. Though she had appeared in his musical Cats, Lloyd Webber had not previously singled Brightman out as a great talent. The two married in 1984, and Brightman appeared in Lloyd Webber's subsequent musicals including The Phantom of the Opera and Song and Dance, as well as the massRequiem, which was written and composed for Lloyd Webber's father.[26]
Brightman and then-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber at the world premiere performance of Requiem at Saint Thomas Church in New York City
In 1985, Brightman's recording of "Pie Jesu" was a strong commercial success, selling 25,000 copies[26] on the first day of release and peaking at number 3, despite the lyrics being in Latin. With classical music permeating the Lloyd Webber household (Brightman was in heavy operatic training at the time), Lloyd Webber was moved to write the Requiem Mass as a tribute to his father. Its Manhattan premiere, starring Plácido Domingo and Brightman, was filmed by the BBC and PBS for later broadcast. The LP eventually became UK's top selling classical album of the year and earned Brightman a Grammy nomination as Best New Classical Artist.[27]
Brightman starred as Christine Daaé in Lloyd Webber's adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera. The role of Christine was written specifically for her.[27] Lloyd Webber refused to open The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway unless Brightman played Christine.[28] Initially, the American Actors' Equity Association balked, because of their policy that any non-American performer must be an international star.[28] Lloyd Webber had to cast an American in a leading role in his next West End musical before Equity would allow Brightman to appear (a promise he kept in casting Aspects of Love).[28] In the end, it was a compromise that was successful.[28]Phantom received $17million in advance sales prior to opening night on 26 January 1988.[29] The original cast album was the first in British musical history to enter the music charts at number one. Album sales now exceed forty million worldwide—the biggest selling cast album of all time—and has gone six times platinum in the United States, twice platinum in the UK, nine times platinum in Germany, four times platinum in the Netherlands, 11 times platinum in Korea and 31 times platinum in Taiwan.[30] Despite the success both in London and on Broadway, Brightman received mostly negative reception from critics for her performance and was not nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Musical at the Tony Awards.[31] While some reviewers praised Brightman for her singing, her acting was widely criticized.
After leaving Phantom, she performed in a tour of Lloyd Webber's music throughout England, Canada and the United States, and performed Requiem in the Soviet Union. Studio recordings from this time include the single "Anything But Lonely" from Aspects of Love and two solo albums: the 1988 album The Trees They Grow So High, a collection of folk songs accompanied by piano, and the 1989 album The Songs That Got Away, a compilation of obscure musical theatre songs from shows by such composers as Irving Berlin and Stephen Sondheim. Brightman also sang the song "Make Believe" during the credits of the children's film Granpa; Howard Blake composed the music and wrote the lyrics.[32]
By 1990, Brightman and Lloyd Webber had separated.[33] After their highly publicized divorce, Brightman played the lead in Lloyd Webber's Aspects in London opposite Michael Praed, before transferring to Broadway.[34] Her subsequent solo album, As I Came of Age, was an eclectic collection of folk-rock and musical theatre songs that Brightman herself chose.[26]
1990s: Solo career
In 1992, Brightman performed with José Carreras at the Barcelona Olympic Games singing the theme song "Amigos Para Siempre" ("Friends Forever"). Following the appearance, Brightman pursued solo recording, and inspired by the German band Enigma, she requested to work with one of its members, Frank Peterson. Their first release together was Dive (1993), a water-themed pop album that featured "Captain Nemo", a cover of a song by the Swedish electronica band Dive.[35] The album received her first Gold award in Canada.[36]
Brightman and Peterson's second collaboration yielded the pop rock album, Fly (1995) with the single "A Question of Honor"—a mélange of electronic, rock, classical strings and excerpts from the Alfredo Catalani opera La Wally.[37] The song and the video were introduced at the World Boxing Championship match between Germany's Henry Maske and Graciano Rocchigiani.[citation needed]
In 1997, Brightman released the album Timeless/Time to Say Goodbye. It remains as Brightman's biggest-selling album. It went gold, platinum and/or multi-platinum in 21 countries, selling over 1.4million copies in the US, and topped the Billboard Top Classical Crossover Albums chart in the US for 35 weeks.[38] The lead single from the album, "Time to Say Goodbye", was the second song that Brightman debuted at the World Boxing Championship in Germany. This duet with tenor Andrea Bocelli became an international hit and sold more than 3 million copies in Germany.[39] The album eventually sold over 12 million copies worldwide.[21]
With the success of Timeless, Brightman released her next album, Eden in 1998. She personally selected each song and convinced the Italian composer Ennio Morricone to let her set lyrics to one of his film compositions, "Gabriel's Oboe" from the film The Mission resulting in "Nella Fantasia". The album, unlike Time to Say Goodbye, incorporated more pop music elements. Reviews were mixed – LAUNCHcast deemed Eden "deliriously sappy",[43] while AllMusic called Eden "a winning combination".[44]Eden reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Top Classical Crossover Albums chart and No. 65 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified Gold in the United States.
2000–2004: Further international success
In 2000, La Luna was released. For this album, Brightman chose songs drawing on pop, vintage jazz, and high opera, in homages to Dvořák, Beethoven and Billie Holiday. La Luna reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Top Internet Albums and peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming Brightman's second highest-selling album in the United States with sales of 900,000 and reaching Gold certification.[13] It became her biggest-selling album in Asia, with a quintuple platinum certification in Taiwan.[45][46]
At her 2000 PBS La Luna concert, Brightman sang "There for Me" in a duet with an up-and-coming star, Josh Groban. At the end of 2001, Billboard magazine noted Brightman as the most important classical crossover artist from the United Kingdom.[47]
In 2001, Brightman released Classics, an anthology including highlights from three of Brightman's chart-topping releases along with seven new tracks; this was released worldwide except Europe. In the US the album peaked at No. 66 on the Billboard 200 chart and went Gold.[48] In Canada it peaked at No. 9 and was certified Platinum; and in Japan, Classics became Brightman's most successful release at the time with 300,000 units sold and reaching Platinum status.[49]
Her 2003 album Harem represented another departure: a Middle Eastern-themed album influenced by dance music. On Harem, Brightman collaborated with artists such as Ofra Haza and Iraqi singer Kazem al-Saher. Nigel Kennedy contributed violin tracks to the songs "Free" and "The War is Over" and Jaz Coleman contributed arrangements.[27]
The album peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 chart,[50] No. 1 on the Billboard Top Classical Crossover Albums chart, No. 1 on the Swedish Album Chart, and yielded a No. 1 dance/club single with the remix of the title track. Some time later, another single from the album (the ballad "Free", cowritten with Sophie B. Hawkins) became a second Top-10 hit on this chart.
The albums Eden, La Luna and Harem were accompanied by live world tours which incorporated the theatricality of her stage origins. Brightman acknowledged this in an interview, saying, "They're incredibly complicated...[but also] natural. I know what works, what doesn't work, all the old tricks".[51] In both 2000 and 2001, Brightman was among the top 10 most popular British performers in the US, with concert sales grossing $7.2million from 34 shows in 2000 and over $5million from 21 shows in 2001.[47]
In 2004, the Harem World Tour grossed $60million and sold 700,000 tickets,[27] $15million and 225,000 sales of which came from the North American leg, although with ticket prices raised 30% from previous tours, average sales per venue were up 65%.[50] In North America, Harem tour promoters Clear Channel Entertainment (now Live Nation) took the unusual step of advertising to theatre subscribers, in an effort to reach fans of Brightman's Broadway performances, and also sold VIP tickets, at $750 each, which included on-stage seating during the concert and a backstage pass.[50] Tour reviews were mixed: one critic from the New York Times called the La Luna tour "not so much divine but post-human" and "unintentionally disturbing: a beautiful argument of emptiness."[52]
Television specials on PBS were produced for nearly every Brightman album in the US; a director of marketing has credited these as her number-one source of exposure in the country.[47] Her concert for Eden was among PBS's highest-grossing pledge events.[53]
2006–2008: Diva, Symphony and Beijing Olympics appearance
Brightman released a DVD collection of her music videos on 3 October 2006 under the title of Diva: The Video Collection. The Singles Collection is the accompanying CD, released on the same date. The album marked the first time Brightman released a greatest hits album in the United States; it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Classical Crossover Albums chart. In Japan, the album debuted and peaked at No. 2 with 77,000 copies sold on its first week of release, and became Japan's biggest-selling classical album of 2007. Subsequently, it was Japan's fifteenth best-selling international album of the 2000s decade.[54] By 2008, the album achieved a Double-Platinum certification.[55] With Diva, Brightman was also South Korea's best-selling international artist of 2010 as the album topped the international charts all throughout the year. Diva was certified Quintuple Platinum and its digital single, "Nella Fantasia" sold over 2 million units.[56] Other releases in Europe were The Very Best of 1990–2000 and Classics: The Best of Sarah Brightman.
Brightman performing in Auburn Hills, US, during her Symphony World Tour
On 1 July 2007, Brightman appeared at the Concert for Diana held at Wembley Stadium, London, an event organised to celebrate the life of Princess Diana of Wales, where she sang "All I Ask of You" from The Phantom of the Opera with Josh Groban.[57][58] Around 15 million people across the UK watched Concert for Diana at home, and it was broadcast to over 500million homes in 140 countries.[59] On 7 July 2007 Brightman performed four songs ("Nessun dorma", "La Luna", "Nella Fantasia" and "Time to Say Goodbye") at the Live Earth Concert Series, and debuted her single "Running" at the 2007 IAAFChampionships in Osaka, Japan.[60] In this period Brightman also recorded a duet with Anne Murray singing "Snowbird", which was included on Murray's 2007 album Anne Murray Duets: Friends and Legends.[61]
On 29 January 2008, Brightman released her first album in five years: Symphony, influenced by gothic music.[62] In the United States, it became Brightman's most successful chart entry and also her highest ranked album on Billboard's "Top 200 Albums". It was also a No. 1 album on two other Billboard charts: "Top Internet Albums" and "Top Classical Crossover Albums". The album moved there 32,033 copies in first week,[63] according to Nielsen Soundscan. The album was a top 5 release in China, Taiwan, Canada, Mexico and Japan and a top 20 across Europe.[64]
Brightman performing in Live Earth Concert in Shanghai, China (2007)
Brightman performed "Pie Jesu" and "There You'll Be" at the United States Memorial Day concert on 25 May 2008 held on the west lawn of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The show was broadcast live on PBS before a concert audience of 300,000, as well as to American troops serving around the world on the American Forces Radio and Television Network.[66][67] Brightman made her feature film debut as Blind Mag in the rock musical film Repo! The Genetic Opera which was released on 7 November 2008.[68][69][70] Brightman was cast in the film at the last minute after the original actress who was cast for the role was dropped.[70]
On 8 August 2008, Brightman sang the Olympic theme song, "You and Me", with Chinese star Liu Huan in both Mandarin and English at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. The performance was broadcast to over five billion viewers. In the 26 hours after the performance, "You and Me" was downloaded 5.7million times.[71][72]
Brightman released her first holiday album, entitled A Winter Symphony on 4 November 2008. The album debuted at number No. 38 on the Billboard 200 and scored a number six in the Top Holiday Albums.[73] The album was composed of an array of Christmas favourites including "Silent Night" and "In the Bleak Midwinter". Also featured are a duet in "Ave Maria" with Mexican Tenor Fernando Lima, covers of pop tracks including ABBA's instrumental song "Arrival" plus a rendition of Neil Diamond's, "I've Been this Way Before".
To accompany Symphony and A Winter Symphony, Brightman embarked on a tour in Autumn 2008; "The Symphony World Tour", that included virtual and holographic stage sets.[74]
2009–2010: Symphony: Live in Vienna and UNESCO World Heritage Sites concerts
In response to persistent calls for a global release of the Symphony: Live in Vienna concert, EMI Music launched worldwide the PBS special which featured Brightman's performance at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, on 16 January 2008, in both audio and visual formats. The Symphony—Live in Vienna television special debuted on PBS in March 2008 during the network's spring pledge drive and aired throughout the month.[75]Symphony: Live in Vienna was listed as the thirteenth best-selling album of the year in Mexico.[76]
The music of Brightman was featured in the film Amarufi: Megami no hôshû (international title: Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess), which was a special production to mark Fuji Television's 50th anniversary, the first Japanese film to be shot entirely on location in Italy. In conjunction with the release of the film Amalfi, Brightman released only in Japan an album titled Amalfi – Sarah Brightman Love Songs which reached Gold status and was Japan's best-selling classical album of 2009. At the end of the year, Brightman was the seventh best selling international artist in Japan.[55][77][78]
On 3 November 2010, Brightman was invited to sing at the Tōdai-jiBuddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara".[83][84] The concert was recorded and later broadcast nationwide by TBS network.[85]
2011–2015: UNESCO, Dreamchaser and space tourism
In early 2012, Brightman received the UNESCO Artist for Peace Award for her "commitment to humanitarian and charitable causes, her contribution, throughout her artistic career, to the promotion of cultural dialogue and the exchanges among cultures, and her dedication to the ideals and aims of the Organization".[16] She was also appointed as Panasonic's global brand ambassador, and is the face of Panasonic's strategic partnership agreement with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre as she starred in their joint campaign, "The World Heritage Special," that was aired on the National Geographic Channel worldwide.[17]
On 16 April 2013, Brightman's released her eleventh studio album, Dreamchaser. The offering was inspired by her decision to become the first singer in outer space. This album was Brightman's first collaboration with producer Mike Hedges and Sally Herbert.[89] It received acclaim from critics, many considering it Brightman's strongest work to date,[90] and many pointed out the coherence of the song choices and the quality of Brightman's vocals.[91][92]Dreamchaser was Brightman's first album to enter on the BillboardIndependent Albums chart, became her seventh No. 1 album in the Billboard Top Classical Albums chart and made a strong debut in the Billboard 200 at No. 17 moving 20,358 copies on its first week of release.[93]
During the autumn season 2013, Brightman performed the Dreamchaser World Tour in Canada, Mexico,[94] the United States, China, Japan,[95] South Korea, Thailand,[96][97] Hong Kong, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Brazil,[98] Chile,[99] Argentina, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, Latvia, Finland, Turkey and Bulgaria.[100][101][102] The concert tour was very successful as it entered the list of the top-grossing tours in North America during the respective season.[103][104] On 6 June, Brightman filmed a new PBS TV special entitled Sarah Brightman: Dreamchaser in Concert at Elstree Studios where she set up a competition so fans could have the chance of winning tickets to attend the exclusive filming.[105]Dreamchaser in Concert aired on PBS on 3 August, with a setlist of twelve songs (plus two bonus songs) featuring both new songs and well-known favorites.[106]
2016–2017: Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, continuous touring
On 2 June 2016, Brightman received the Italian decoration 'Cavaliere' in the Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana by the Consul General of Italy, Francesco Genuardi.[110] During the ceremony, Genuardi expressed, the motivation of Brightman's distinction: "Ms. Sarah Brightman who with her extraordinary voice and with her excellent music has contributed in an excellent way in spreading the Italian language and culture at a high level worldwide". The private ceremony was held on the occasion of the Festa della Repubblica Italiana (The Italian National Day) at the Consulate General of Italy in New York City.[111]
On 6 July 2016, Brightman released her eighth compilation album: Gala – The Collection. This album was released exclusively on Japan in commemoration of the tour, Gala: An Evening with Sarah Brightman.[112] The concert tour would later add more destinations, presenting shows in other Asian countries, such as South Korea, China and Taiwan. Once finished in March 2017, Brightman had presented 25 shows in three different continents.[113] During the same month, Brightman performed at Starmus 3 Festival in Tenerife, Canary Islands, in honour of Professor Stephen Hawking[114] along with composer Hans Zimmer and Anathema.[115] On 7 January 2017, Brightman presided over the naming ceremony as godmother of the Richard Branson's new 600-guest ship MVSeabourn Encore, the first of two new all-suite vessels for the company.[116]
2018–present: Hymn, Phantom China project and honorary doctorate
On 7 June, Brightman announced in Shanghai that she will be joining a team of celebrity judges on a musical theatre casting TV show. Judges will be searching for the first Chinese Phantom in 2020. The selected winner will not only perform on stage in the Chinese production of The Phantom of the Opera, but will possibly also appear inLondon's West End or the New York City Broadway production as well.[118][needs update]
On 17 September 2018, Brightman announced her fifteenth full-length album Hymn, which was released on 9 November 2018 under Decca Gold/ Universal Music Group. The following week, on 16 November, the digital single "Miracle (Sarah's Version)", composed by Japanese musician and composer Yoshiki, was released, reaching the top 10 on iTunes classical music charts in 15 countries.[120] In addition to the new album, Brightman announced a world tour, which began in South America in November 2018 and included 125 shows across five continents throughout 2019, concluding with her return to London's Royal Albert Hall for the first time over 20 years, with guest performers from the Hymn album Narcis, Vincent Niclo, and Yoshiki.[121][122]
In 2022, Brightman became a judge of the talent competition show Yoshiki Superstar Project X, airing on Hulu Japan and produced by Yoshiki.[123] In September 2023, Brightman was featured in the music documentary film Yoshiki: Under the Sky.[124][125]
On October 10, 2023, it was announced that Brightman would take the lead role of Norma Desmond in the 2024 Australian season of Sunset Boulevard in Melbourne from May 2024 before moving to the Sydney Opera House for residence from August 2024.[126][127][128]
Brightman underwent vocal training first with Elizabeth Hawes, head of the Trinity Music College in London, and later with Ellen Faull of Juilliard. She also studied with voice teacher David Romano.[129] According to Brightman, her voice can reach an F6.[130]
David Caddick, a conductor of Phantom, has stated:
What is amazing about Sarah is that she has two voices, really. She can produce a pop, contemporary sound, but she can also blossom out into a light lyric soprano. The soprano part of her voice can go up to a F6 above her known E6. She doesn't sing it full out, but it is there. Of course, she has to dance while she is singing some of the time, so it's all the more extraordinary.[34]
She sometimes uses her pop and classical voices in the same song. One example is "Anytime, Anywhere" from Eden, a song based on Albinoni's Adagio in G minor. In the song, she starts out in classical voice, switches to pop voice temporarily, and finishes with her classical voice. Another example is heard in the Lions Gate film Repo! The Genetic Opera, during the songs "Chase The Morning" and "Chromaggia" by her character, Blind Mag.
Brightman's music is generally classified as classical crossover. According to Manhattan Records GM Ian Ralfini, she is largely responsible for the popularity of the genre. In a 2000 interview with People, Brightman dismissed the classical crossover label as "horrible" but stated she understood people's need to categorise music.[131] Her personal influences include 1960s and 1970s musicians and artists such as David Bowie and Pink Floyd,[27] and she incorporates aspects of genres from pop/rock to classical. Her work has also been compared to that of Madonna, Cher and Celine Dion.[132] The material on her albums ranges from versions of opera arias from composers such as Puccini (on Harem, Eden, and Timeless), to pop songs by artists such as Kansas ("Dust in the Wind" on Eden), Dido ("Here with Me" on La Luna), and Procol Harum ("A Whiter Shade of Pale" on La Luna). She sings in many languages, including English, Spanish, French, Latin, Italian and Japanese.
Personal life
At age 18, in 1979, Brightman married Andrew Graham-Stewart, who at that time managed the German band Tangerine Dream.[133] She later met Andrew Lloyd Webber when she performed in Cats. In 1983, Brightman divorced Graham-Stewart and later that same year, Lloyd Webber divorced his first wife, Sarah Hugill, with whom he had two children.[134] Lloyd Webber and Brightman married on 22 March 1984 and their relationship quickly became the subject of intense media and tabloid scrutiny until their divorce in 1990. They are on friendly terms; in 2006, at the 20th London anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera, Lloyd Webber called Brightman a "wonderful woman" and "absolutely beloved mentor", and she performed at the 25th anniversary of the musical in 2011. He appeared as a special guest in her 1997 concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Brightman had a 10-year relationship with Frank Peterson, during which they tried and were unsuccessful in having children. In a 2006 interview with British magazine Hello!, she said motherhood would have been "lovely" but accepted that she would never have a child.[135]
Charity work
On 8 February 2012, Brightman accepted the UNESCO nomination to be an "Artist for Peace" Ambassador.[136] Additionally, she is actively engaged in Panasonic's UNESCO World Heritage Centre endeavours, and stars in their The World Heritage Special campaign.
In 2012, in conjunction with Virgin Galactic, the Brightman STEM Scholarship program (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) was launched. It will help young women in the US pursue STEM education across their four-year college careers.
On 27 June 2013, the Reignwood Group announced at the Beijing Theatre that Brightman would be a promotional ambassador for its 10 Trinity Square, a landmark in the Reignwood Group's global expansion, in London for the next four years. This is the second time for the group to cooperate with an influential artist, the first being with tenor Plácido Domingo, in 2008.[137]
In November 2013, Brightman donated US$533,000 to those affected by Hurricane Ingrid in the Mexican state of Guerrero—the entire profit from her sold-out show in Mexico City on 13 November 2013.[138]
On 30 October 2013, Brightman announced through the media that she was honoured to be part of the Advisory Council for the Challenger Center, the non-profit science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education organisation, stating "[t]hrough my partnership with the Challenger Center, I hope to inspire in children the same wonder and excitement for space exploration that I feel myself." Challenger Center and its network of more than 40 Challenger Learning Centers engage students in hands-on experiences that strengthen knowledge in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and inspire students to pursue careers in these important fields.[139]
In April 2014, Brightman participated as an orchestra director in Parkinson's UKSymfunny at the Royal Albert Hall 4 June, with the aim of funding research to find a cure for the disease.[140]
In July 2015, the inaugural Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Sarah Brightman Music Scholarships were also awarded to their first recipients. The scholarships will support students in their postgraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music on the two-year Master of Music Programme.
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.
Plácido Domingo– Requiem, "The Closing of the Year", "Là ci darem la mano", "Love Unspoken", "Time to Say Goodbye", "La traviata: Libiamo ne' lieti calici (Brindisi)", "Die Lustige Witwe– Lippen Schweigen", "The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You", "West Side Story: Maria & Tonight", "Fröhliche Weihnacht", "Cantemos rapaces", "Angels from the Realms of Glory", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "Happy Christmas", "Silent Night"
José Carreras– "Amigos para Siempre", "Love Unspoken", "La traviata: Libiamo ne' lieti calici... Brindisi", "Subaru"
Michael Crawford– The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber): "Little Lotte.../The Mirror...", "The Phantom of the Opera", "I Remember.../"Stranger Than You Dreamt It...", "Notes.../Twisted Every way...", "Wandering child.../Bravo, Monsieur...", The Point of No Return", "Down Once More.../Track Down This Murder..."
Steve Barton– The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber): "Think of Me", "Little Lotte.../The Mirror...", "Why Have You Brought Me Here.../Raoul, I've Been There...", "All I Ask of You", "Notes.../Twisted Every Way...", "Wandering Child.../Bravo, Monsieur...", "Down Once More.../Track Down This Murderer..."
Rosemary Ashe– The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber): "Think of Me", "Notes.../Twisted Every Way..."
Gregorian– "Eden", "Free", "Moment of Peace", "Join Me", "Heroes", "When A Child is Born", "Send Me An Angel", "Voyage Voyage", "Don't Give Up", "Vide Cor Meum", "Hymn (Live from Royal Christmas Gala & A Christmas Symphony)"
Riccardo Cocciante– "Cantemos Rapaces", "Child in a Manger", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "Happy Christmas", "Silent Night"
Helmut Lotti– "Fröhliche Weihnacht", "Cantemos Rapaces", "Christmas is Here Again", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "Happy Christmas", "Silent Night"
Alessandro Safina– "Sarai Qui", "Canto della Terra", "The Phantom of the Opera" (Symphony World Tour– México, Asia), "There for Me" (Gala – An Evening with Sarah Brightman Tour)
Mario Frangoulis– "Carpe Diem", "Sarai Qui", "Canto della Terra", "The Phantom of the Opera" (Symphony World Tour– EE.UU., Canadá)
Erkan Aki– "Just Show Me How To Love You","The Phantom of the Opera", "Canto della Terra" and "Sarai Qui" (Sarah Brightman in Concert 2009 and Dreamchaser World Tour).
Andrew Swait: "Pie Jesu" (The Classical Brit Awards– 8 May 2008)
Mark Butcher– "Take The Weather With You", "Heroes", "Leaving on a Jet Plane", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", "Music of the Night", " Ain't No Sunshine", "The Rose", "Moon River"
Princessa– "Calling You" (1996) (Background vocals Sarah Brightman)
Michael Patrick Smith, known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English actor, comedian and singer.
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart, additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, and a libretto by Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe. Based on the novel by Gaston Leroux, it tells the tragic story of beautiful soprano Christine Daaé, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious and disfigured musical genius living in the subterranean labyrinth beneath the Paris Opéra House.
Yoshiki Hayashi, known as Yoshiki, is a Japanese musician, songwriter, composer, record producer, film director, and fashion designer. He is best known as the leader of the visual kei rock bands X Japan and the Last Rockstars, for which he is the drummer, pianist, and main songwriter. He has been described by Billboard as a "musical innovator" and named "one of the most influential composers in Japanese history" by Consequence. Yoshiki's solo career includes several classical studio albums and collaborations with artists such as George Martin, Bono, will.i.am, St. Vincent, the Chainsmokers, Skrillex, Ellie Goulding, Stan Lee, Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen, Gene Simmons and KISS, Nicole Scherzinger, and Sarah Brightman.
Christine Daaé is a fictional character and the female protagonist of Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera and of the various adaptations of the work. Erik, the Phantom of the Opera and Viscount Raoul de Chagny both fall in love with her.
La Luna is the seventh album recorded by English soprano Sarah Brightman in 2000. It was released under license by Nemo Studios to Angel Records. The album combines pieces written by classical and modern composers. It is the 17th top-selling classical album of the 2000s in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and is Brightman's second highest seller in the country after her 1997 release Timeless/Time to Say Goodbye. Aside from the US, the album experienced its strongest sales in Asia, where it received a quintuple platinum certification in Taiwan and earned Brightman's first Gold award in Japan.
Harem is the eighth studio album by English singer Sarah Brightman, released in the United States on 10 June 2003 through Angel Records. The album continued the collaboration between Brightman and her longtime producer Frank Peterson.
"The Music of the Night" is a major song from the 1986 musical The Phantom of the Opera. The music was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. Initially made famous by Michael Crawford, the actor who originated the role of the Phantom both in the West End and on Broadway, "The Music of the Night" has appeared on many cast recordings of the musical, sold millions of copies worldwide, and has been translated into many languages.
This page includes the full discography of British singer Sarah Brightman, including albums, singles, and theatre cast recordings.
"The Phantom of the Opera" is a song from the 1986 stage musical of the same name. It was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics written by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, and additional lyrics by Mike Batt. The song was originally recorded by Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley, which became a UK hit single in 1986, prior to the musical. In its theatrical debut, it was sung by Brightman and Michael Crawford in their roles as Christine Daaé and the Phantom.
"All I Ask of You" is a song from the 1986 English musical The Phantom of the Opera, between characters Christine Daaé and Raoul, originally played on stage by Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton, respectively. It was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, and solely produced by Lloyd Webber. An operatic pop piece, its lyrics serve as dialogue between the two characters and discuss themes such as commitment and romance. Like Lloyd Webber's song "The Music of the Night", "All I Ask of You" was compared to the music found in Giacomo Puccini's 1910 opera La fanciulla del West.
Love Changes Everything – The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, Volume 2 (2005) is an album by English soprano Sarah Brightman. It contains songs from various shows for which Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music. The album contains eight previously released songs along with six new recordings.
Symphony is the ninth studio album from English soprano singer Sarah Brightman. This classical crossover album is a contrast to her previous collaboration with producer Frank Peterson, 2003's Harem; using a gothic influence instead of a Middle Eastern feel.
Diva: The Singles Collection is a 2006 compilation album by Sarah Brightman. Alongside this album, Brightman released a DVD collection of her music videos on 3 October 2006 under the title of Diva: The Video Collection. The album marked the first time Brightman released a greatest hits album in the United States. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover chart. In Japan, the album debuted and peaked at No. 2 with 77,000 copies sold on its first week of release, and became Japan's best-selling classical album of 2007. Subsequently, it was Japan's fifteenth best-selling international album of the 2000s decade. Diva was also the best-selling western album in South Korea in 2010, as it topped the international charts for 26 non-consecutive weeks. As of December 2013, it has been certified Quintuple Platinum in the country.
Sarah Brightman in Concert with Orchestra was a concert tour by English soprano singer Sarah Brightman. The tour featured shows in Canada, Japan, Macau, South Korea, and Ukraine. These performances were from a more traditional classical standpoint. Brightman sang alongside the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, Aichi Chamber Orchestra, Kyoto Philharmonic Chamber orchestra, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Hong Kong Concert Orchestra and Prime Philharmonic Orchestra in Seoul.
Dreamchaser is the eleventh studio album by English singer Sarah Brightman. This album is Brightman's first collaboration with producer Mike Hedges and centres on the concept of space. The offering was inspired by Brightman's decision to become the first singer in outer space, as she intended to launch on an orbital spaceflight mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in partnership with Space Adventures, Ltd., a private space experiences company. Nevertheless, in March 2015 it was announced that Brightman had postponed the flight for personal reasons. It was released in Japan on 16 January 2013 and in the United Kingdom on 8 April 2013 and in the North America on 16 April 2013 to critical acclaim.
The Dreamchaser World Tour was the fifth worldwide concert tour by English soprano singer Sarah Brightman in support of her album Dreamchaser (2013). The North American tour had been planned to begin in early 2013, but all dates were rescheduled for late 2013. The tour was supposed to be Brightman's final concert tour before her trip into space but the trip was later cancelled for personal reasons.
Sarah Brightman: Dreamchaser in Concert is a live concert recording by Sarah Brightman following her 2012 release, Dreamchaser. It was recorded in June 2013 at the Elstree Studios near London, United Kingdom.
Gala - An Evening With Sarah Brightman was a 2016–17 concert tour by English soprano singer Sarah Brightman with eleven shows in Japan, three in South Korea and three in Mexico.
Hymn is the twelfth studio album by English soprano Sarah Brightman and first since 2013's Dreamchaser. The five-and a half year gap between both studio albums marks Brightman's longest break between studio releases. This album marks Brightman's ninth studio collaboration with producer Frank Peterson. The album was released on 9 November 2018, entering at No. 1 on both the Billboard Classical Crossover Albums and overall Classical Albums, making Brightman the female artist with the most No. 1s in both charts.
Hymn: Sarah Brightman In Concert is the sixth worldwide concert tour, and tenth tour altogether, by English soprano singer Sarah Brightman in support of her album Hymn (2018). The tour started on 24 November 2018, in São Paulo, Brazil, and will continue until 2021. The event is expected to include 125 shows in five different continents, thus becoming Brightman's largest tour of her career.
↑ "莎拉·布莱曼开启第三次中国巡演"月光女神"将飞天"[Sarah Brightman opens the third Chinese tour "Moonlight Goddess" will fly]. article.wn.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 10 October 2019.
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