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Christine Brewer (born October 26), is an Americansopranoopera singer.
Brewer grew up in theMississippi River town ofGrand Tower, Illinois. She attendedMcKendree University inLebanon, Illinois and concentrated on music education. She was a music teacher for several years before embarking on a professional music performing career.
She began her career inSt. Louis, Missouri with theSaint Louis Symphony Chorus. She auditioned in 1981 for the chorus ofOpera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL),[1] in the start of her career in opera. Her first OTSL work was in the chorus of "The Beggars Opera" in 1982. Her first major role with OTSL was as Ellen Orford inPeter Grimes in 1990.
In 1989, she participated in a masterclass withBirgit Nilsson and was one of the 10 winners of the National Council auditions sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera. While her daughter Elisabeth was in school during the academic year, Brewer deliberately limited her work in staged opera productions.[1] 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 ofRichard Strauss'Ariadne auf Naxos at theMetropolitan Opera in 2003, which has become a signature role for Brewer.
Brewer is most famous for her interpretations of roles byWagner,Strauss andBritten includingIsolde,Ariadne, Färberin (Die Frau ohne Schatten), Ellen Orford (Peter Grimes)[2] andQueen Elizabeth I (Gloriana).[3] She made her debut at theSan Francisco Opera in 2006 singing the title role inBeethoven'sFidelio and returned the following season singing the role ofIsolde inTristan und Isolde.
Brewer is a regular featured singer atThe Proms and theWigmore Hall.[4]
In late March 2009, Brewer had to withdraw from the complete Ring Cycle at the Metropolitan Opera because of a knee injury.
In August 2012, Ms Brewer sang the same program that her mentorBirgit Nilsson sang at the opening of the Concert Hall at theSydney Opera House inSydney, Australia 40 years before. It was an all-Wagner program, three performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra playing and conducted bySimone Young.
In January 2013, Brewer created the role of Sister Aloysius in the world premiere ofDouglas Cuomo's operaDoubt at theMinnesota Opera.
BBC Music Magazine in April 2007 named her one of the top 20 sopranos of the 20th century.[5]
She continues to work with young students in the sixth-grade classroom atMarissa, Illinois where she had formerly taught music, in an outreach program in conjunction with theSaint Louis Symphony Orchestra. She currently lives inLebanon, Illinois, with her husband Ross Brewer, a retired social studies teacher.
Brewer has made a number of recordings, which include:
Brewer was honored at the 48th AnnualGrammy Awards for Best Choral Performance and Best Classical Album for her work on Bolcom'sSongs of Innocence and Experience.
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