Lindsey Reynolds, Sarah Shafer, and Karen Slack Join Lawrence Brownlee To Launch The Opera Philadelphia Channel

Having joined Opera Philadelphia as Artistic Advisor in 2017, Lawrence Brownlee will take a starring role this fall in the debut of the Opera Philadelphia Channel, a global platform that will bring a robust 2020-2021 season into opera lovers' homes via their television screens and streaming devices.

The tenor takes center stage in the first performance created for the channel, "Lawrence Brownlee & Friends in Philadelphia," a recital and conversation program in which he is joined by sopranos Lindsey Reynolds, Sarah Shafer, and Karen Slack, accompanied by pianist Myra Huang. The show will premiere on Friday, October 23, at 8:00 p.m. EST, and remain available on-demand throughout the season.

"I am thrilled to invite everyone to join us for a night of arias, songs, spirituals, and conversation as we launch this exciting digital season on the Opera Philadelphia Channel," Brownlee said. "We all need music in our lives right now, and I am so happy to have this opportunity to sing with three incredible sopranos with deep ties to the city of Philadelphia, Lindsey Reynolds, Sarah Shafer, and Karen Slack, joined by my longtime friend and collaborator, Myra Huang, on piano."

New Orleans-born soprano Lindsey Reynolds, called a "ravishing lyric soprano" (Parterre Box), currently resides in Philadelphia, where she received her undergraduate degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and is currently pursuing her Master of Music. A versatile artist, Reynolds' repertoire encompasses opera, musicals, concerts, and interarts collaboration. She is known to Opera Philadelphia and Curtis Opera Theatre audiences for roles such as Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Monica in Menotti's The Medium, and Cathleen in Vaughan Williams' Riders to the Sea.

Praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer for her "crystalline sound, perfectly true intonation, glowing warmth, and total presence" as well as, "a singer to watch" by Opera News, American soprano Sarah Shafer actively appears on the leading operatic and concert stages of the world. A native of State College, PA, she holds degrees in voice and opera from the Curtis Institute of Music and is currently based in Philadelphia. The 2019-2020 season saw Shafer return to Opera Philadelphia for a comedic turn as Iris in Semele.

Hailed for possessing a voice of extraordinary beauty, a seamless legato, and great dramatic depth, American soprano Karen Slack is a Philadelphia native and a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. In recent seasons she has appeared as Alice Ford in Falstaff, Leonora in Il trovatore, and Tosca with Arizona Opera; as Aïda at Austin Opera; Emelda Griffith in Champion with New Orleans Opera; Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Nashville Opera; Violetta in La traviata with Sacramento Opera; and Sister Rose in Dead Man Walking with both Minnesota Opera and Vancouver Opera. She returned to Opera Philadelphia for a series of recital programs during Festival O19.

Acclaimed by Opera News as being "among the top accompanists of her generation" and "...a colouristic tour de force" by the New York Times, Grammy Award-nominated pianist Myra Huang is highly sought after for her interpretation of lieder and art song as well as her depth of musicianship and impeccable technique. Last season, Huang performed in recitals throughout the U.S., including The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, The Kennedy Center, The Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, and the 92nd St Y. Huang was chosen as the recipient of The Samuel Sanders Collaborative Artist Award for 2019 by the Classical Recording Foundation for her consummate artistry.

Following the premiere of "Lawrence Brownlee & Friends in Philadelphia," the tenor will take part in two additional fall premieres on the Opera Philadelphia Channel.

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