Born in Ohio, Lawrence Brownlee won the Grand Prize at the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions in 2001 and was named “Singer of the Year” at the 2017 International Opera Awards. He has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including the New York Metropolitan Opera, Milan’s La Scala, the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, the Royal Opera House in London, the Vienna Staatsoper, the Paris Opera (L’italiana in Algeri, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Don Pasquale, La Cenerentola), the Zurich Opera, the Berlin Staatsoper, the Teatro Real in Madrid, the Théâtre La Monnaie in Brussels as well as at the Salzburg and Baden-Baden Festivals. Particularly renowned in the bel canto repertoire, Lawrence Brownlee has also performed in several contemporary operas, including Lorin Maazel’s 1984 and, more recently, as the jazzman Charlie Parker in Yardbird. In February 2018, he appeared in the world premiere production of Cycles of My Being by Tyshawn Sorey.Last season, he made his debut appearance at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu in Il viaggio a Reims (Count Libenskof). He then sang the roles of Idreno (Semiramide) at London’s Royal Opera House, the title role in Le Comte Ory at the Zürich Opera, Arturo in I puritani at the Lyric Opera in Chicago, the Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Nadir (Les Pêcheurs de perles) and Fernand (La Favorite) in Houston, Arturo (I puritani) in Liège and in concert at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome, Count Almaviva (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) in Chicago, Ramiro (La Cenerentola) at the National Opera in Amsterdam and at the Palau De Les Arts Reina Sofia in Valence.

His latest recording, Allegro io son, received the Critic’s Choice Award from Opera News. His other recordings include Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Armida, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Carmina burana and an album of spirituals entitled Spiritual Sketches with the pianist Damien Sneed. Lawrence Brownlee is an artistic advisor to the Philadelphia Opera.