Débria M. Brown (26 October 1936 – 17 December 2001) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano who had an active international career that spanned five decades. She was part of the first generation of black opera singers to achieve wide success and is viewed as part of an instrumental group of performers who helped break down the barriers of racial prejudice in the opera world. She also worked occasionally as a dramatic actress on the stage and on television.[1]
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Born in New Orleans, Brown was the daughter of the Reverend Bennett G. and Eunice Brown. She attended Xavier University of Louisiana (Bachelor of Music, 1958), where she sang Cherubino in the only production Norman Treigle directed, Le nozze di Figaro, in 1957.[2] She later studied singing and dance with Katherine Dunham in New York City through a scholarship provided by the John Hay Whitney Foundation.[3]
In 1958, Brown made her professional opera debut with the New York City Opera in the title role of Georges Bizet's Carmen, opposite her mentor, Treigle, as Escamillo.[2] She returned to the City Opera in 1961, when she created the role of Tituba in the world premiere of Robert Ward's The Crucible, opposite Chester Ludgin.[1][4] In 1958 she made her Carnegie Hall debut singing the role of Amenofi in the American Opera Society's concert presentation of Gioachino Rossini's Mosè in Egitto with conductor Arnold Gamson, and Boris Christoff in the name part.[5]
From 1962–1965, Brown was a member of the Stadttheater Aachen, during which time she appeared as a guest artist at numerous opera houses in Germany. She was then committed to the Staatsoper Stuttgart from 1967–1970. In 1969, she appeared as Bess in George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess at the Vienna Volksoper. In 1971 and 1974, she made appearances at the Bregenzer Festspiele. In 1972–1973, she was a member of the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, and, in 1973, she sang Carmen at the Mississippi Opera, and made her debut at the Holland Festival as Fortunata in the world premiere of Bruno Maderna's Satyricon. She returned to The Netherlands several more times during the 1970s and 1980s, including portraying Klytaemnestra in Richard Strauss's Elektra for her 1974 debut with the De Nederlandse Opera. In 1977, she sang the roles of Zita in Giacomo Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and Frugola in Puccini's Il tabarro at the Holland Festival.[4]
In 1978, Brown performed at the Vienna State Opera as Begonia in Hans Werner Henze's Der junge Lord, and at the Welsh National Opera as Klytaemnestra. For the New Orleans Opera Association, the mezzo-soprano sang Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera, with Carlo Bergonzi and Pablo Elvíra, in 1981, and, in 1995, performed the role of the Filippyevna in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, opposite Yuri Mazurok and Natalia Rom. In 1991, she sang the role of Nicey in the revised version of Carlisle Floyd's The Passion of Jonathan Wade at the Houston Grand Opera; repeating that role at the Seattle Opera in 1992 and at the San Diego Opera in 1991 and 1996. In 1992, she appeared at the Florida Grand Opera as Anacona in Alberto Franchetti's Cristoforo Colombo.[4] In 1996 she performed the role of Ela's grandmother in the world premiere of David Carlson's Dreamkeepers at the Utah Opera.[6]
In 1992, Brown became a Professor of Voice and Artist in Residence at the University of Houston.[7] She remained in that position until her death nine years later. At the time of her death she was still performing, and had further unfulfilled engagements with American opera companies scheduled in the next few seasons. Posthumously, her "live" 2001 recording of Dominick Argento's Casanova's Homecoming was released by Newport Classic.