October 2008 (New York, NY) In a genre-defying music career that could be described as nothing less than spectacular, Sarah Brightman has established herself as the world’s best selling soprano of all time.
Her extraordinary abilities as a consummate recording artist and live performer have allowed her to achieve sales of more than 26 million albums and two million DVDs, and earned her more than 150 gold and platinum sales certifications in 34 countries on all continents. She remains the only artist ever to hold the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Classical and Dance charts simultaneously. Ms. Brightman’s unprecedented crossover success has also helped pave the way for such performers as Andrea Bocelli, Il Divo, and Josh Groban, and earned her nearly every major music award on the planet, including a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records for the success of “Time to Say Goodbye,” the best-selling single in German recording history.
Sarah Brightman was selected as the only international artist invited to perform in a pivotal performance at the opening ceremony at the Beijing 2008 World Olympics this past August, 2008. During the magnificent opening ceremony, Ms. Brightman sang the Olympic theme “You and Me” with Chinese star, Liu Huan, for an astounding 5+ billion viewers. In only 26 hours after the ceremony, “You and Me” was downloaded a staggering 5.7 million times. Not a stranger to The Olympics, in 1992 Ms. Brightman performed “Amigos Para Siempre” at the Closing Ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics in a duet with Jose Carreras.
This year, Ms Brightman releases two new studio albums (Symphony and her first-ever Christmas album A Winter Symphony), a PBS TV Special (Symphony in Vienna), launches a world tour and makes her acting debut (Repo! The Genetic Opera).
Symphony, released on January 28, 2008 - luminously exemplifies the meaning of that very word. “Symphony” is defined as “a harmonious combination of elements, especially an effective combination of colors.” Symphony was Ms. Brightman’s highest chart debuting album. Exploring a bold range of styles, Ms. Brightman creates another thrilling collection of material that cannot be easily categorized, but remains entirely accessible to lovers of a vast array of musical genres. From the Gothic tempestuousness of “Fleurs du Mal,” to the pleading “Let It Rain,” Symphony is teeming with both audacious defiance and vulnerable sensuality. Another highlight is “Running,” the International Association of Athletics Federation Green Project Charity song, which Ms. Brightman performed at their Championships opening ceremonies in Osaka, Japan. Symphony reunites her with Andrea Bocelli and also features collaborations with Fernando Lima, Alessandro Safina and rock superstar Paul Stanley.
On November 4, 2008, Ms. Brightman releases her second album of the year. A Winter Symphony, her first ever Christmas album, brings her virtuosity and originality to many of the season’s classics, including Silent Night; John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Happy Christmas (War is Over); a gorgeous rendition of Neil Diamond’s classic I’ve Been this Way Before; In the Bleak Midwinter; Abba’s famous instrumental, Arrival, which Sarah Brightman turns into a vocal version for the first time; as well as a couple of duets: a resplendent performance of Ave Maria, a duet with Fernando Lima, and Carpe Diem where she is joined by Mario Frangoulis. On A Winter Symphony, Sarah Brightman was backed by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Symphonic Orchestra as well as a 46-piece choir.
Simultaneous with the release of A Winter Symphony on November 4, Ms. Brightman will embark on a world tour, her first in four years, which kicks off in Monterrey, Mexico. Brightman will be performing 18 concerts in the US, 10 concerts in Canada and 4 concerts in Mexico. Continuing her tradition of breathtaking stage productions, this tour will feature new and groundbreaking technology, with virtual and holographic stage sets that have never been seen before in any touring concert production. This innovative stage technology is highly sophisticated and dramatic, creating an otherworldly, ethereal experience: enormous realistic ballrooms will meld into fairytale gardens and then morph into giant fish tanks, right before the audience’s very eyes, creating a perfect backdrop for Sarah’s glorious voice.
And to top off the week of November 7th, concurrent with the release of her first-ever Christmas album and start of her World Tour, Sarah will also make her debut as an actress starring in the Lionsgate rock opera film: Repo! The Genetic Opera starring Paris Hilton, Paul Sorvino and Anthony Head. A musical thriller, Repo! is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman who directed three of the hugely successful films in the Saw series.
Sarah Brightman remains one of the most trailblazing entertainers of her time, effortlessly transcending and blending musical styles from pop, rock, and Broadway show-stoppers, to operatic and classical arias, all the while captivating audiences around the globe with her exquisite voice and her undeniably electrifying stage presence.
This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.
