Janai Brugger is represented by Rayfield Allied worldwide.

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Janai Brugger

Soprano

  • Soprano Janai Brugger, a crowd favorite, is clearly someone to watch.
    Greg Moomjy, Opera Today
  • There was more vocal personality to Brugger, who supplied an intriguing poignancy to the often superficially treated Musetta.
    Mark Swed, LA Times

  • 2012 winner of Placido Domingo’s prestigious Operalia vocal competition in Beijing and winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, American soprano, Janai Brugger, kicks off the 2012-13 season as Liu in Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera. She appears with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at The May Festival under the baton of James Conlon, and travels to China for a series of recitals.  She rounds out the season with Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel as High Priestess Aida in performances at the Hollywood Bowl.

    Recent successes include the artist’s appearance at Ravinia Festival with Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of James Conlon as First Lady Die Zauberflöte. As a member of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program, Ms Brugger’s Los Angeles Opera appearances include Barbarina Le Nozze di Figaro under the baton of Placido Domingo, Page Rigoletto with James Conlon, and Musetta La Bohème with Patrick Summers. Cover assignments included the roles of Mrs Neruda Il Postino, Governess The Turn of the Screw, and Juliette Roméo et Juliette, a role in which she made her debut in a special appearance at Palm Beach Opera in 2010.

    Other roles in the artist’s repertoire include Ilia Idomeneo and Tatiana Eugene Onegin.

    A native of Chicago, the artist obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan, where she studied with the late Shirley Verrett.  She won her Bachelor’s degree from DePaul University where she studied with Elsa Charlston. In 2007, she appeared with Marilyn Horne at Carnegie Hall in “The Song Continues”.  Ms Brugger appeared as Adina Elixir of Love with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in their ‘Opera in the Neighborhoods’ program and in 2010, she participated in The Merola Opera Program of San Francisco Opera, performing scenes from Massenet’s Werther and Nicolai’s Merry Wives of Windsor.

    Her future engagements include Pamina Die Zauberflöte at Los Angeles Opera and Michaela Carmen at Opera Colorado.

    Janai Brugger is represented worldwide by Deborah Sanders at Rayfield Allied.
    This biography is for information only and should not be reproduced.

    • Zarzuela Gala, LA Opera
      June 2013

      Janai Brugger, whose supple and luminous soprano delivered one gloriously floated high note after another.
      Los Angeles News

    • Mozart Requiem, Cincinnati May Festival
      May 2013

      The soloists were well-matched and provided some exceptional solos. One of the most memorable moments was their “Benedictus,” which unfolded with pastoral beauty. Soprano Janai Brugger, in her debut, was a standout, communicating warmth and velvety tone and beautiful expression.
      Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati.com

    • Operalia Competition, Beijing
      June 2012

      The winners of the 20th edition of Plácido Domingo’s Operalia – The World Opera Competition have been announced. Held in Beijing from June 4-10, the competition awarded First Prize for a female singer to American soprano Janai Brugger, who is currently enrolled in LA Opera’s Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program. Brugger also received the Pepita Embil Domingo Zarzuela Prize and the Audience Prize.
      Gramophone

    • La Boheme, Los Angeles Opera
      May 2012

      There was more vocal personality to Brugger, who supplied an intriguing poignancy to the often superficially treated Musetta.
      Mark Swed, LA Times

    • Met Opera competition, New York
      March 2012

      Only one singer inspired me to look forward to a full performance. Janai Brugger sang two lyric soprano standards with poise and style, quiet intensity and superb phrasing... Her physical performance was reserved in both "Depuis le jour," from Charpentier’s "Louise," and "Ach, ich fühl’s," from Mozart’s "Zauberflöte." The emotion was in her sound, which projected, with silvery ease, first relaxed but focused bliss in "Depuis le jour" and then haunting melancholy in the Mozart. She met the challenge of the Charpentier, which is to be simultaneously languid and light. Her top notes were clear and secure; she descended from the high A near the end of "Depuis le jour" with lucid beauty.
      Zachary Woolfe, New York Times
      Soprano Janai Brugger, a crowd favorite, is clearly someone to watch. In both her arias, the famous "Depuis le jour," from Louise, and Die Zauberflote’s "Ach, ich fuhl’s," demonstrated warm tone and command of legato and ornamentation.
      Greg Moomjy, Opera Today

    • Met Opera competition, New York
      March 2012

      Only one singer inspired me to look forward to a full performance. Janai Brugger sang two lyric soprano standards with poise and style, quiet intensity and superb phrasing... Her physical performance was reserved in both "Depuis le jour," from Charpentier’s "Louise," and "Ach, ich fühl’s," from Mozart’s "Zauberflöte." The emotion was in her sound, which projected, with silvery ease, first relaxed but focused bliss in "Depuis le jour" and then haunting melancholy in the Mozart. She met the challenge of the Charpentier, which is to be simultaneously languid and light. Her top notes were clear and secure; she descended from the high A near the end of "Depuis le jour" with lucid beauty.
      Zachary Woolfe, New York Times
      Soprano Janai Brugger, a crowd favorite, is clearly someone to watch. In both her arias, the famous "Depuis le jour," from Louise, and Die Zauberflote’s "Ach, ich fuhl’s," demonstrated warm tone and command of legato and ornamentation.
      Greg Moomjy, Opera Today

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