Christine Brewer
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Christine Brewer is an American operatic soprano.
Born on October 26, 1955, she was raised in the Mississippi River town of Grand Tower, Illinois. She went on to major in music education at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois, planning to become a music teacher. She taught for a short while in the public schools, and continues to work with young students in the sixth grade classroom at Marissa, Illinois in an outreach program in conjunction with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
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[edit] Studies and early career
Brewer began her career in St. Louis as a section leader in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and moved on to perform at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Her premiere at the Opera Theatre was a role in the chorus of "The Beggars Opera" in 1982. Her first major role with the company was 8 years later when Brewer sang the role of Ellen Orford in Benjamin Britten's opera, Peter Grimes.
She sang and studied under the great dramatic Soprano, Birgit Nilsson, and in 1989 was named one of the 10 winners of the National Councel auditions sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera. After studying under Nilsson, a number of opportunities came Brewer's way and she turned them down. Brewer reduced her opera commitments except for summer engagements while her daughter Elisabeth was in high school. She maintained her concert, recital and recording career during this time, and she returned more actively to the opera stage after her daughter's high school graduation. She began to accept roles including a debut in the title role of Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos at the Metropolitan Opera in 2003, which has become a signature role for Brewer.
[edit] International career and engagements in 2007/2008
Brewer is most famous for her interpretations of roles by Wagner, Strauss and Britten including Isolde, Ariadne, Fäberin (Die Frau ohne Schatten), Ellen Orford (Peter Grimes) and Queen Elizabeth I (Gloriana). She made her debut at the San Francisco Opera in 2006 singing the title role in Beethoven's Fidelio and returned the following season singing the role of Isolde in Tristan und Isolde.
She was honored at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance and Best Classical Album for her work on Bolcom's Songs of Innocence and Experience.
[edit] Recordings
Brewer’s recordings include a two contributions to Hyperion’s Schubert series with pianist Graham Johnson and their Strauss series with pianist Roger Vignoles; two recital recordings entitled "Saint Louis Woman” and “Music for a While, ” produced and released by Opera Theatre of St. Louis; a recording of Mahler's Eighth Symphony with Sir Simon Rattle and the City of Birminham Orchestra (EMI); and a recording of Mozart's Don Giovanni with Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (Telarc). Recent recordings include Strauss’ Four Last Songs with the Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde and Mozart’s Requiem with Donald Runnicles and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Telarc); Fidelio in German with Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO Live); Barber’s Vanessa (Chandos) with the BBC Symphony and the Grammy Award-winning Bolcom Songs of Innocence and Experience (Naxos), both conducted by Leonard Slatkin; Fidelio in English and “Great Operatic Arias” (Chandos) with the London Philharmonic and David Parry; Tristan und Isolde with Donald Runnicles and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (Warner Classics); and Britten’s War Requiem with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Kurt Masur (LPO Live).
