Opera on High

Dressed in a college sweatshirt and jeans, 51-year-old Lawrence Brownlee appears an everyman upon first glance.

The Niceville resident’s ordinary demeanor belies his career as a world-class opera singer.

His bel canto-style tenor voice has been captivating audiences for nearly 25 years with consistently sold-out shows at major opera houses and concert halls worldwide.

Brownlee’s voice suits bel canto, an Italian music style that requires vocal agility to sing its flurry of rapid notes, long melodies and high Cs. But his voice wasn’t always operatic.

Hailing from a musical family with gospel roots — his father was a church choir director, and his mother sang solos — Brownlee first sang in the church choir as a kid growing up in Ohio. He had plans to attend law school, but he changed paths after early teachers suggested a career in music. In 2001, he graduated with a master’s degree in music from Indiana University and won the grand prize in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

He made his professional debut in 2002 and has since performed at world-famous opera houses including New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House and Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. He made a name for himself in productions of Il Barbiere di Siviglia and has since won prestigious awards including the Seattle Opera’s Artist of the Year award in 2008. His 2023 album, Rising, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.

In 2002, Lawrence Brownlee performed in his professional stage debut as Count Almaviva from Gioachino Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. The role has since become a signature performance for him. Photo by Todd Rosenberg Photography

Despite his immense success, Brownlee remains humble and true to his father’s words: “Worry about things you can control and work hard to perfect it.”

“It is very gratifying that people appreciate what I do,” Brownlee said. “But I’m not a person who seeks accolades. My career gives me great fulfillment because of my hard work.”

Beyond music, Brownlee points to his wife, Kendra, and their family as his most substantial influence.

“Our son, Caleb, was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 ½,” Brownlee said. “It was crushing because we knew nothing about autism, and it just changes your dreams. We knew that we had to work together to figure it out.”

At the time, Brownlee and Kendra lived in Atlanta with Caleb and newborn daughter Zoe. Brownlee’s busy performance schedule, which keeps him on the road about 250 days a year, made home life challenging. Kendra’s parents visited and moved in for some time. But after they returned home to Crestview, Florida, the family began to consider a change.

“When my in-laws left,” Brownlee said, “my kids missed them immensely. It was a hard time for everyone.”

Within a week, the family decided to move to Niceville.

“Being in Florida has been good for Caleb,” Brownlee noted, “because he loves being at his grandparent’s house. Even though my career takes me away from home, I consider being here an investment in his future, giving him normalcy and structure.”

When the Brownlees moved to Niceville in 2017, Caleb was 7 and Zoe was 6.

“We researched the area for the best schools and decided on Bluewater Elementary,” Brownlee said. “We quickly realized that Caleb needed a school for children with special needs. He initially attended one such school in the area, then another, but neither was a good fit. After being wait-listed for nearly 18 months, Caleb finally enrolled at the Emerald Coast Autism Center (ECAC) in Niceville.

Photo by Kia Caldwell Photography, LLC

“The ECAC has helped us understand autism, and we’ve been able to connect with other families facing similar challenges. I am a big supporter of autism awareness.”

In 2023, Brownlee performed alongside renowned trumpet soloist David Spencer at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center’s Sounds of the Spectrum concert benefiting ECAC.

Brownlee has often performed the song All Night, All Day at concerts and recitals, dubbing it “Caleb’s Song” in dedication to his son. The lyrics speak about a band of protective angels. It is these angels, Brownlee tells audiences, that watch over his son. He performed the song during his NPR Tiny Desk Concert in 2013.

In 2018, Brownlee created and performed a solo program, Cycles of My Being, about living the Black experience. The piece talks about love, hope and hate. The music has resonated with audiences across the country. 

His 2023 album, Rising, was a collaborative project created to give voice to African Americans past and present. He commissioned six African American composers, Damien Sneed, Brandon Spencer, Jasmine Barnes, Joel Thompson and Shawn E. Okpebholo. In his tenor voice, Brownlee sets poem to composition with texts from the Harlem Renaissance movement written by Claude McKay, Langston Hughes and others. The songs are centered in joy, empowerment, faith, love and strength in the face of challenge.

Offstage, Brownlee often plays tennis, hits the pickleball courts or goes salsa dancing. But mostly, he is all in with his family.

At the end of a performance, they’re what keeps him on high.

Photo courtesy of Lawrence Brownlee

Rising

You can listen to Lawrence Brownlee’s 2023 collaborative album on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music.