(March 28, 2023) - "The honor came through University of Georgia (UGA). I had to be nominated," Soprano opera singer Angela Brown said about the Delta Visiting Chair for Global Understanding experience courtesy of the Delta Air Lines Foundation. "I didn't know about it. I was told a doctorate student was inspired by me...wanted to get me to perform but couldn't afford it."

So, her admirer nominated her for this Chair residency honor. The Visiting Chair position was established through the Delta Air Lines Foundation by the Wilson Center at UGA. The first honoree was Alice Walker in 2015.

"So, they were able to get me for the University of Georgia's Residency Program," she explained. "I gave a Master's class, workshops...on artist management, and had a too-long talk with high school students. Students were able to sing in my Master's class."

Angela also performed her solo show "Opera...from a Sista's Point of View' at the residency at UGA's Hodgson School of Music. The show demonstrates the diversity in opera to help people see themselves in the opera characters and story lines. On stage Brown is known for her comedic timing and big personality.

In 2015 she founded the Morning Brown, Inc nonprofit to bridge the gap between music program accessibility and historically excluded audiences. Under Morning Brown, Inc. she has the expanded version of her opera show called "Opera...Generation Next" which has been performed at the Cincinnati Opera, Opera Birmingham, and Florida Grand Opera - to name a few. She also mentors young artists and has a multicultural performance program that gives artists opportunities to showcase.

"(Morning Brown, Inc.) It's the brainchild of doing the ‘Opera...from a Sista's Point of View' signature show," Angela said when I asked about her 501 c3 organization. "I wanted it to be broad...an umbrella so I can do my other programs."

As an opera singer for over 20 years Angela Brown has performed at The Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, National Opera of Paris, Vienna State Opera Capetown Opera in South Africa, and so many other venues around the world. Composer Richard Danielpour set Dr. Maya Angelou's poetry to music and created "A Women's Life" which Angela Brown premiered in with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra and she recorded it for the Naxos label with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.

"Opera told me I was an opera singer," Angela laughed a little when I asked why pick Opera, why not R&B, Pop or Soul. "I was at Oakwood University for Bible instruction and music. A teacher heard opera in me. She said I took to opera like a duck takes to water. She ended up taking me to Indiana University. So, I call her the author of my voice. She said if I finished the program, she'd take me into the studio."

Brown has also co-hosted Melanated Moments in Classical Music, an award-winning podcast for Classical Music Indy that reaches 100 countries. She is also featured in a PBS documentary on the life of Marian Anderson titled "The Whole World in Her Hands from American Masters and Voice of Freedom from American Experience." Angela recently hosted "A Plea for Healing" in Indianapolis for a community-wide prayer service. www.MorningBrown.org