Measha Brueggergosman isn’t your typical opera diva.
In fact, the Canadian soprano with the elaborate name (her parents concocted Measha; her surname blends her maiden name and her husband’s last name) is more of a hipster who loves to connect with her friends and fans through her website and interactive MySpace profile.
“To create my online presence, I used the same tools and searches that I use to find other cool people on the web,” said the 30-year-old who debuts with the New York Philharmonic in Vail tonight. “I think your website and the different ways you communicate online are a reflection of who you are and what your personal interests are.”
From posting photos, videos and audio clips online to her e-newsletter, “Up-to-the- Minute Measha,” she is as creative in her approach to building an online community of pals, colleagues and curious lurkers as she is in structuring her career as a singer, writer and humanitarian.
“I love to be on the go,” said Brueggergosman, who recently landed an exclusive recording contract with the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label. “When I’m not singing, I work with different charities. I just returned from supporting the cause in northern Uganda where my sister is working in international development and health education.”
The Canadian goodwill ambassador also lends her celebrity status to support organ donation and the World Wildlife Federation, and is the inaugural contributor to the Canadian National Post’s new Artist’s Diary series.
“We don’t mind the breakneck pace,” she said, referring to her Swiss husband and personal manager, Markus. “But in our four to six weeks off every year, we hardly leave our house in Toronto. We catch up on episodes of ‘Lost,’ ‘The Amazing Race’ and ‘The Sopranos.”‘
Her visit to Vail marks a string of firsts for Brueggergosman – her first time in Colorado, her first time in the mountains, and her first time performing with the New York Phil. Under the baton of esteemed British conductor Sir Andrew Davis, the orchestra returns to the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival for its annual summer residency , including six concerts through July 27.
The two have performed together before, with the Toronto Symphony and the gala reopening of Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall.
“What I love about him is that he’s precise without being constricting and expressive without being cartoonish,” she said. “He holds you in but gives you wings. That’s a hard balance to strike as a conductor.”
Brueggergosman – praised for her intuitive musicianship, warm, lustrous voice and poised stage presence – will sing popular opera arias from Carl Maria von Weber to Alfredo Catalani.
“It’s a nice cross section of pieces to perform with the New York Phil since they are such a versatile orchestra,” she said. “Let’s just hope I can acclimate to the altitude.”
Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival
CLASSICAL MUSIC|Soprano Measha Brueggergosman will perform opera arias with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Sir Andrew Davis, conductor; also on the program are Richard Strauss’ “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks” and Mussorgsky/Ravel’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”|Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail|6 tonight|$23-$84|877-812-5700 or vailmusicfestival
