Janet Brown, Soprano
link to audio link to reviews link to schedule Janet Brown email


Janet Brown Formal Photo Biography
But her simplicity, of course, is deceptive -- the art that conceals art...

(Fanfare Magazine)

Soprano Janet Brown has been praised by critics for her warm, clear voice and direct expression. Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe has called her "...one of our most treasurable artists. " On the opera stage she has performed roles with the Syracuse Opera Company, Oswego Opera Theatre, the American Repertory Theatre, the Boston Early Music Festival and PepsiCo Summerfare.

On the concert stage she has performed the major oratorio roles with the Syracuse Symphony, the West Virginia Symphony, the Cantata Singers of Boston, the Spectrum Singers of Boston, the New England Bach Festival, the Northwest Bach Festival, Handel & Haydn Society, Emmanuel Music of Boston and the Tallahassee Symphony, among others. Ms. Brown is also a frequent recitalist with the Skaneateles Chamber Music Festival and has appeared in concerts of new music with the Syracuse based Society for New Music and Boston's Collage New Music.

Janet Brown has premiered works by composers Gunther Schuller, Andrew Imbrie, Philip Glass, Grant Cooper, Nicolas Scherzinger, Wes York, Edward Cohen, Howard Boatwright and Ernst Bacon.

In addition to her critically acclaimed compact disc release of selections from Spanisches Liederbuch of Hugo Wolf, she was featured on Fond Affection: Music of Ernst Bacon (CRI #890). Both recordings are available from www.cnyclassicalcds.com.

Janet Brown received her undergraduate musical training at Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam. She did her graduate work at Boston Conservatory and Syracuse University. Ms Brown currently serves as Academic Coordinator and Instructor in Voice At Syracuse University Setnor School of Music. She also teaches voice at Hamilton College.

Janet Brown with Sar-Shalom Strong

Janet Brown with
Sar-Shalom Strong, pianist

Audio Go To Top

Recordings


Hugo Wolf CD       Fond Affection CD

Clips

Hugo Wolf: Spanisches Liederbuch, first portion of each track listed.
(mp3 format, about 0.5 MB each)
In dem Schatten meiner Locken (tk 2)
Muhvoll komm ich und beladen (tk 16)
Wehe der, die mir verstrickte (tk 25)
Bedeckt mich mit Blumen (tk 24)

Purchase CDs

CNY Classical CDs
Purchase CD's, and hear more sound clips of Janet at www.cnyclassicalcds.com

Janet Brown as Adele in Die Fledermaus
Janet Brown as Adele in the Syracuse Opera's May 2000 production of Die Fledermaus

Reviews Go To Top
J.S. Bach, Coffee Cantata
2007 Skaneateles Festival Finale

"...As the daughter, soprano Janet Brown brought her strong lyric instrument, some meltingly beautiful phrasing, convincing dramatic involvement and tasteful ornamentation." (Syracuse Post Standard, 9/1/07)

Fussell, Excerpts from Astronauts Tale and Goethe Lieder
Collage New Music, David Hoose, Conductor

"...the excellent soprano Janet Brown closed the scene with a breathtaking high, quiet fade." (Boston Globe, 3/27/07)

Handel, Messiah
Albany Pro Musica, David Griggs-Janower, Conductor

"Best of all was Janet Brown, whose soprano voice was unfailingly beautiful and expertly used." (Albany Times Union, 12/11/06)

Mozart, Exsultate Jubilate and Mahler, Symphony No. 4
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Hege, Conductor

"Brown's voice is a continuing marvel -- sweet-toned and light, but possessing a warmth of tonal character that stamps [warmth] and emotion upon everything she sings." (Chuck Klaus, The Post-Standard of Syracuse, 10/15/05)

J.S. Bach, St. Matthew Passion
Cantata Singers and Ensemble

"In a category all their own were baritone James Maddalena and soprano Janet Brown: Both operated at the very heart of the music and text." (Richard Dyer, Boston Globe, 3/26/04)

Fond Affection (CRI)
CD Review

"The disk opens with seven songs sung with breathtaking beauty by soprano Janet Brown. Especially lovely is 'Schilflied,' which shows that Bacon could set German poetry quite well." (NATS Journal of Singing. November/December 2002)

Scarlatti, Christmas Cantata
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Luis Novo, Guest Conductor

"It was Scarlatti's Christmas Cantata that gave Janet Brown another chance to display her laser-accurate pitch, wonderful musical and stylistic grasp, and beautifully formed and controlled vocal sonority...." (Chuck Klaus, Syracuse Post-Standard, 12/1/03)

Haydn, The Creation
Cantata Singers, David Hoose, Conductor

"There was an excellent team of vocal soloists led by Janet Brown. Her tone is still fresh as the morning dew in paradise garden, and she sings with such heartfelt simplicity and directness that you almost forget she's singing; she's music, that's all." (Richard Dyer, Boston Globe, 11/9/02)

Bach, B-Minor Mass
Syracuse Symphony, Daniel Hege, Conductor

"The most stunning blend of vocal color during the evening, however, came as Brown joined mezzo-soprano Barbara Rearick for the "Et in unum Dominum," which proved to be the ensemble high point of the performance." (David Abrams. Syracuse Post-Standard. 4/21/01)

Hugo Wolf, Spanisches Liederbuch (Russetbush)
CD Review

"...But her simplicity, of course, is deceptive--the art that conceals art--as comparison with any merely correct reading of these songs will instantly reveal." (Adrian Corleonis. Fanfare Magazine. March-April 2001)

Samuel Barber, Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Tallahassee Symphony, David Hoose Conductor

"Soprano Janet Brown was luminous in a beautiful performance of Barber's lyrical masterpiece. Brown sang with a warm and rich sound, and her phrasing was spot on." (Steve Hicken. Tallahassee Democrat. 5/4/99)


Performance Schedule Go To Top

Upcoming Concerts 2007-2008

May 23 and 24, 2008, 8:00 p.m.
Local Syracuse Performance

Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Grant Cooper, Conductor
Bernstein Music from Candide and Westside Story
Mulroy Civic Center, Syracuse
Syracuse Symphony

Saturday May 24, 2008, 10:30 p.m.
Local Syracuse Performance

Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Grant Cooper, Conductor
Grant Cooper Song of the Wolf
Mulroy Civic Center, Syracuse
Syracuse Symphony

Previous Concerts This Season

Sunday May 4, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Music Choral Union and Orchestra
Beverly Taylor, Conductor
Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony
Overture Center for the Performing Arts, Madison
Music Dept. Calendar

Tuesday April 29, 2008
Hamilton College and Community Oratorio Society
G. Roberts Kolb, Conductor
Bruckner Mass in F Minor
Wellin Hall, Hamilton College
Hamilton College Music Dept.

Sunday April 20, 2008, 3:00 p.m.
Oswego Opera Theater
Purcell's The Fairy Queen
First United Methodist Church, Oswego
Oswego Opera

Saturday, March 8, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
Masterworks Chorale
Maureen McCauley, Conductor
Brahms Requiem
First English Lutheran Church, 501 James Street, Syracuse
Masterworks Chorale

Sunday, February 24, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.
Northwest Bach Festival
Gunther Schuller, Conductor
J.S. Bach St. Matthew Passion
At the Newly Restored Fox Theater, Spokane, WA
Northwest Bach Festival

Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Daniel Hege, Conductor
Selections from Beethoven Fidelio (Marzelline)
Mulroy Civic Center
Syracuse Symphony

Sunday, December 9, 2007 at 3:00 p.m.
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Daniel Hege, Conductor
Handel's Messiah
Mulroy Civic Center
Syracuse Symphony

Friday, November 9, 2007 at 8 p.m.
Cantata Singers & Ensemble
David Hoose, Conductor
Carl Orff, Carmina Burana
New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall
Cantata Singers & Ensemble

Saturday September 1, 8:00 p.m.
Skaneateles Festival Finale at Brook Farm
Bach "Coffee" Cantata, BWV 211
www.skanfest.org

June 8 - 10, 2007
Bach & Beyond Baroque Music Festival
Grant Cooper, Conductor
The 1891 Fredonia Opera House
Cantatas of Georg Philippe Telemann and Monteverdi
www.fredopera.org

Note On Concert Times and Locations: We have tried to be accurate, but changes may occur. Please confirm performance locations and times with the performing organization or venue.


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This page last updated: 12/11/07