Lawrence Brownlee brings Tyshawn Sorey song cycle to Washington.
Opera tenor Lawrence Brownlee is trying to find ways to express who he is in a traditionally white world, in part, by commissioning and seeking out new works about aspects of the African American experience. By Anne Midgette Anne Midgette Classical music critic Email Bio Follow April 5 at 9:00 AM Lawrence Brownlee is among the most celebrated bel canto tenors alive. He regularly sings at the major opera companies around the world, and at 46, he’s at the peak of his career.
Brownlee is front and center in Washington this month. On Friday, he takes the tenor lead in Washington Concert Opera’s production of Rossini’s “Zelmira,” one of the less-performed serious operas by a composer best remembered for his comic romps. On Thursday, he appears in recital with Vocal Arts DC at the Kennedy Center.
Eric Owens and Lawrence Brownlee in their recent duo recital program: “Hopefully this gets people into the theater.” “One initiative I’m passionate about is diversifying audiences,” Brownlee says. “Hopefully this does that, gets people into the theater.” His hope is that some who are listening feel this show is an appetizer, leading them to try opera again.
Part of that effort involves programming different kinds of works, such as “Yardbird,” a 2015 opera about Charlie Parker and a vehicle for Brownlee, who played the lead. Part of it also involves more colorblind casting — a willingness to cast singers of color in all operatic roles, rather than mainly in “Porgy and Bess.” The Washington National Opera and Opera Philadelphia both have good track records in that regard; other companies have been slower to catch on.
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