Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 September 2004 — Page 22

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Indianapolis soprano Angela Brown will sing NHe role of opera Aida'

From BlackMws.com Emerging as one of the leading Verdi sopranos performing today, Angela M. Brown of Indianapolis brandishes pure vocal power and finesse and has won the acclaim of critics and audiences. The roles of Aida, Amelia, fosca, Elisabetta, Leonora, Ariadne, and the like, are the perfect conduit for her musical abilities, described by one PBS radio critic as “her powerful voice and what seems an inexhaustible palette of varied colors.” Miss Brown sings the title role of Aida this October for her debut with the Metropolitan Opera and reprises the role in January 2005 for Opera Company of Philadelphia. She follows that with a concert of opera arias for Dayton Opera and the role of Cilia in “Margaret Garner,” a new opera by Richard Danielpour and Toni Morrison, for Cincinnati Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia, about an escaped slave facing tumultuous decisions for herself and her children when forced to make a choice between death or a return to slavery. The past two performance seasons marked new highs for Miss Brown’s career. It all began in spring 2003 as she stepped in for one performance of Ariadne in Philadelphia and received this review from Opera Now: “In one of those dramatic twists that are the stuff of opera, the soprano covering the title role in ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’ at the Metropolitan Opera got her chance to sing it - at the Opera Company of Philadelphia. The young American soprano Angela Brown took over one performance... She (Ms. Brown) has a powerhouse of an instrument, shimmering with color and imaginatively used, and she knows how to take centerstage.” Then, in the fall of 2003, Brown sang an unexpected per-

Anqela M. Brown of Indianapolis.

formance and her debut of Leonora in Opera Company of Philadelphia’s “II Trovatore.” In January of 2004, she made her role debut as Elisabetta in “Don Carlo” with Opera Company of Philadelphia receiving this praise from the New York Times: “Angela Brown, a soprano, brought dignity and shimmering pianos, and hit a bull’s-eye with her final aria.” Opera News said: “Angela Brown revealed herself as a soprano to watch. Brown displayed good command of Verdi style, imaginative phrasing and a warm, expressive voice,” and Opera Now said: “"Angela Brown’s beautiful lyric soprano voice was ideal for Elisabetta. She floated pianissimos that seemed to hang in space, shimmering, and she had plenty of power for her last big scene.” March of2004 had her singing Cassandra in Taneyev’s “Agamemnon” in Poland and she reprised it in June for the American premiere of the work at Carnegie Hall as her debut in that revered space. The New York Times, again, honored her performance reporting that the role of Cassandra was: “ performed by Angela Brown with an opulent soprano tone and a fine tragic sense.”

Following the Carnegie success, Brown was a featured guest soloist in a concert of opera arias and ensembles with Opera Pacific’s Opera Under the Stars and stepped in as Aida for Shaker Mountain Opera’s concert version of the opera. The critics spoke again: “Angela M. Brown, who stepped into the title role after original casting was announced, is a major discovery. Her soprano is one of those too rare instruments capable of spinning exquisitely beautiful legato lines, in phrasing that often is breathtaking in its security... We shall hear more from this fine singing actress.” (The Berkshire Eagle) Miss Brown has also spent time in the recording studio this past year. In late October, Albany Records will release a recording of African-American spirituals featuring Miss Brown in collaboration with pianist Joseph Joubert and guitarist Tyron Cooper. During the rise of her career, Miss Brown discovered the need for opera to be seen as accessible by an audience that would not normally attend an opera. She decided to take the opera to the general public through her show entitled “Opera from a Sistah’s Point ofView” featuring witty dialogue to explain opera plots and how they relate to the general public and opera arias performed by Black artists. The show has been performed throughout the United States to audiences of all ages, ranging from school classroom presentations to the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago to Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. “Opera from a Sistah’s Point of View” was awarded the 2004 Emerging Artist Award by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Miss Brown’s mother is wellknown Indianapolis artist Freddie Mae Brown.

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Library sees record demand for books and activities

Special to Tho Recorder In a high-tech age when lifestyles are becoming drastically influenced by new electronic resources, Indianapolis library patrons are reading in record numbers and availing themselves of programs that foster a lifelong love affair with reading, according to statistics from the Indianapolis-Marion County Pfiblic Library. Since 2000, the IMCPL has witnessed an average yearly increase of 10 percent in the number of materials circulated from its 23 locations and bookmobiles, culminating in a record 13.5 million items checked out in 2003. Of those items, which include various audio and video formats, nearly 10 million were books, the library said. “It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm that our community shares for reading,” said IMCPL Interim Chief Executive Officer Laura Johnson. “Our recent experiences certainly counter the trend that’s reported elsewhere across the country.” A report by the National Endowment for the Arts indicates that reading among adults is on the decline in America. Those reading any book at all in 2002 fell to 57 percent of adults, down from 61 percent a decade earlier. The report says the number of non-reading adults increased by more than 17 million from 19.92-2002. IMCPL endorses the call for a national conversation on ways to encourage more reading. But the library believes its various established programs have been successful in making a positive impact on reading within the local community. For the past two years, the library and the office of Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson have sponsored the “One Book, One City” initiative that provided opportunities for residents to read and discuss the same book.

The 2003 book selection, The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West, and the 2004 choice, Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing, have been checked out 4,707 times by patrons, a number that continues to grow. Nearly 4,200 copies of The Friendly Persuasion and Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage were sold through the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation and partnering organizations. The “One Book, One City” program also spawned a number of book discussions, film showings and other special activities that were widely received. The love of books among Indianapolis adults is reflected also by growing attendance at book discussions and author appearances offered by IMCPL. Over 1,500 individuals filled the North Central High School Auditorium in April to hear award-winning novelist John Irving at the annual Marian McFadden Memorial Lecture. Since 2000, this series and other free library lecture programs have featured such authors as David McCullough, Doris Kearns Goodwin, George Will and James Alexander Thom. Throughout the year, IMCPL sponsors community-wide family reading initiatives that turn young people into lifelong readers. Its nationally-recog-nized Summer Reading Program, an Indianapolis tradition for 85 years, offers prizes and other incentives to help children maintain and develop the reading habit. In 2003, a record 64,077 participants, representing one out of every four children in Marion County, took part in the program. One month into the 2004 program, “2004: A Space Odyssey Summer Reading Program,” registrations are on pace to match or exceed last year’s total.

Other library reading programs, such as the November Read-Aloud and Share-a-Legacy, invite families to read together and learn about other cultures. “It’s important for us to show our youth how satisfying the reading experience can be,” explained Chris Cairo, IMCPL’s director of Programming and Project Development. “With so many other alternatives that Compete for our children’s attention, the library has been successful in providing a fun and rewarding way to involve young people and encourage reading.” Also part of the library’s mission is its commitment to improve the reading skills of Marion County adults through its partnering with the nonprofit Indy Reads literacy service. Celebrating its 20 th anniversary this year, Indy Reads serves adults in one-on-one or group settings by using trained volunteer literacy tutors. Since its inception, Indy Reads (originally titled The Greater Indianapolis Literacy League) has served over 5,000 adults who read at the lowest levels of literacy. The results of Indy Reads’ efforts are reflected in the many stories of personal triumph by individuals who have transformed themselves from being non-readers into valuable community assets and the most enthusiastic library supporters. Patron visits to IMCPL locations are up 12 percent through the first six months of 2004, following a record 5 million patron visits in 2003. In addition, the library presented 6,‘823 adult and children programs in 2003 which were attended by over 293,000 individuals. For more information on IMCPL programming, visit the library online at www.imcpl.org.