"Your Voice is Your Voice & Your Journey is Your Journey Alone." - Chatting with Chantal Braziel
It is my great joy to introduce you to Chantal Braziel! A rising star in the Opera World, she received her Master's in Music Vocal Performance at Carnegie Mellon University and made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the Gershwin's Grammy Award Nominated Porgy and Bess in 2019/20. She has also performed with Jeremy Winston Choral International, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera, and Carnegie Mellon University. Ms. Braziel is also the recipient of The 2020 Metropolitan Opera National Council Encouragement Award, the 2nd Place Winner of W. Russell Johnson Music Guild Competition of National Black Musicians (2019), A Finalist (respectively) in the Lyra New York International Vocal Competition, and The American Prize Vocal Competition and A Semi-Finalist in the 2020 NYIOP International Vocal Competition.
Chantal is only scratching the surface of the amazing career that she is going to have. It is artists like her that inspire me to strive for greatness every day in my writing and performing. I am honored that this amazing artist, singer, and person gave me the chance to feature her!
How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a Singer?
I believe God called me to be a singer from the very beginning. My mother sang lullabies to me as a baby, and I sang those same tunes right back to her. Growing up, I sang in the church, and I took voice lessons in my teen years. Since I was only familiar with Gospel music, I had dreams of becoming a Gospel singer.
It wasn’t until I went off to my undergraduate program at Saint Vincent College that I learned about opera. My former voice teacher introduced me to the art form, and she compared my voice to the African American soprano, Leontyne Price. I was intrigued by how such a magnificent sound could come from someone who looked like me. I sang an oratorio for the first time while a sophomore in college, and from that day forward, I knew I wanted to become an opera singer.
Are there any teachers or mentors in your life who truly helped you become the fantastic artist you are today?
I have several mentors who have helped shaped me into the individual I am today. My very first mentor was my Gospel choir director, Dr. Herbert Jones. He knew I could sing opera before I did, and he once said that he saw me singing at places such as the Metropolitan Opera. I also would not be who I am today had it not been for my former voice teacher, Sonya Caceres, who first introduced me to opera. She saw who I was going to be the moment I worked with her, and I am truly grateful for her. She then led me to my current voice teacher, Maria Spacagna who is a retired Metropolitan Opera singer. Maria has enhanced my life as a singer and person, and with her patience, push, and faith in me, she has helped shape my voice even further.
Recognizing my potential, she encouraged me to work with her while pursuing my Master’s degree at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA which I recently completed. Along the way in my career, I have sung and connected with wonderful, international singers I now see as my mentors such as Angel Blue, Latonia Moore, Marvis Martin, and Denyce Graves-Montgomery. Their passion for opera helps me thrive even more.
We are living in some unprecedented times in the world but are very fortunate right now to see a light at the end of the tunnel. For all artists (especially performers) it has definitely been a time of uncertainty. What has your everyday routine been like during Quarantine and what are some things you do to keep your spirits up?
Quarantine has taken its toll on me in many ways I could not imagine. I did what I knew best during this trying time, and that was to continue singing. I knew if I kept my passion for song, it would not only lift my spirits up, but it would heal somebody else in the process. I kept myself busy singing in online forums and auditions while practicing my repertoire to prepare for those performances. I even came up with an idea where I could continue sharing my gift, so I held a concert outside in my home driveway for my family and neighbors. Not only did they enjoy the concert, but I received recognition from my city’s local TV station.
Even in this pandemic, I learned that I could not keep silent because there are so many who need to hear the gift of song in this time of uncertainty. Additionally, I have taken up a cause to help preserve the National Negro Opera Company, founded by Madame Mary Cardwell Dawson, which is located in Pittsburgh. This endeavor is keeping me quite busy as well.
Your voice truly knocks me out! Are there any Operas, concerts, or performances that you have done in your career that will always be near and dear to your heart?
Yes indeed! One of my most memorable performances was when I made my Metropolitan Opera debut in the ensemble of Gershwin's’ Porgy and Bess in the 2019-2020 season. That experience itself changed my life! I was encouraged by one of my mentors, Met chorister April Haines, to audition for the production as they needed more voices to fill the ensemble. The entire time I sang in the production, I was in my glory! I not only sang on one of my dream stages, but I was also glad that I sang onstage with rich and numerous Black voices, both cast and chorus alike, who were just as excited to be there as I was. From the beginning of rehearsals in August to opening night on September 23rd, singing at the Met in my favorite American opera was a dream come true!
Additionally, I was blessed to sing as a soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in their Lift Every Voice concert last February. Singing with the orchestra that evening, I felt like my voice was on air! Another memorable moment was singing with the Pittsburgh Opera in the world-premiere production of The Summer King, the story of the baseball player, Josh Gibson. During that production, I met Alfred Walker and Denyce Graves-Montgomery whom I absolutely love!
What advice would you give any young aspiring artists during these times?
Coming from one singer to another, enjoy your journey! Your voice is your voice, and your journey is your journey alone. Never compare yourself to anyone! Learn to love and embrace all that you are as a person and young artist. It is important to prepare and enhance your gifts, so when opportunities open up, you are ready! In the meantime, learn all you can, practice, and create your own opportunities!
Don’t always wait for doors to open up when you can open up your own door! No matter what, love the gift you were blessed with. I am a firm believer that as long as you put God first and have faith, He will open doors for you no man can shut!
Check out Chantal performing "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess (George Gershwin)