Listen to Janai Brugger, watch music videos, read bio, see tour dates & more!

Classical

United States of America

Janai Brugger

Top Songs By Janai Brugger

Day of Why (feat. Starr Parodi & Janai Brugger)Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Listen to Dedication by San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, George Manahan, David Loeb, Black Thought, Taura Stinson, Janai Brugger & Nnenna Freelon, see lyrics, music video & more!

DedicationSan Francisco Ballet Orchestra, George Manahan, David Loeb, Black Thought, Taura Stinson, Janai Brugger & Nnenna Freelon

Listen to Tulsa, 1921: Catch The Fire (feat. Janai Brugger) [Rewind 1921] by Laura Karpman & Raphael Saadiq, see lyrics, music video & more!

Tulsa, 1921: Catch The Fire (feat. Janai Brugger) [Rewind 1921]Laura Karpman & Raphael Saadiq

Listen to Cherubini, ILC 30, Act I: Che? Quando già corona Amor—Io cedo alla buona preghiera (Live) by Brittany Renee', Sarah Larsen, Janai Brugger, Carlo Rizzi, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & The Metropolitan Opera Chorus, see lyrics, music video & more!

Cherubini, ILC 30, Act I: Che? Quando già corona Amor—Io cedo alla buona preghiera (Live)Brittany Renee', Sarah Larsen, Janai Brugger, Carlo Rizzi, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & The Metropolitan Opera Chorus

Listen to Cherubini, ILC 30, Act I: O amore, vieni a me! (Live) by Sondra Radvanovsky, Matthew Polenzani, Janai Brugger, Ekaterina Gubanova, Michele Pertusi, Carlo Rizzi, The Metropolitan Opera Chorus & The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, see lyrics, music video & more!

Cherubini, ILC 30, Act I: O amore, vieni a me! (Live)Sondra Radvanovsky, Matthew Polenzani, Janai Brugger, Ekaterina Gubanova, Michele Pertusi, Carlo Rizzi, The Metropolitan Opera Chorus & The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Listen to Cherubini, ILC 30, Act I: O bella Glauce—Ah, Colco pensier fatal! (Live) by The Metropolitan Opera Chorus, Janai Brugger, Matthew Polenzani, Michele Pertusi, Carlo Rizzi & The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, see lyrics, music video & more!

Cherubini, ILC 30, Act I: O bella Glauce—Ah, Colco pensier fatal! (Live)The Metropolitan Opera Chorus, Janai Brugger, Matthew Polenzani, Michele Pertusi, Carlo Rizzi & The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Listen to Cherubini, ILC 30, Act I: Signor! Ferma una donna a vostre soglie sta (Live) by Christopher Job, Michele Pertusi, Sondra Radvanovsky, Matthew Polenzani, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Carlo Rizzi, The Metropolitan Opera Chorus, Janai Brugger & Ekaterina Gubanova, see lyrics, music video & more!

Cherubini, ILC 30, Act I: Signor! Ferma una donna a vostre soglie sta (Live)Christopher Job, Michele Pertusi, Sondra Radvanovsky, Matthew Polenzani, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Carlo Rizzi, The Metropolitan Opera Chorus, Janai Brugger & Ekaterina Gubanova

Intelligence, Act Two: My momma's eyesHouston Grand Opera, Kwamé Ryan, Janai Brugger, Jamie Barton & J'Nai Bridges

Intelligence, Act Two: The Slave AuctionHouston Grand Opera, Kwamé Ryan, Janai Brugger, Jamie Barton & J'Nai Bridges

Intelligence, Act Two: Scene 5, In Elizabeth's RoomsHouston Grand Opera, Kwamé Ryan, Janai Brugger, Jamie Barton & J'Nai Bridges

Latest Release

ALBUMJake Heggie: IntelligenceHouston Grand Opera, Kwamé Ryan, Janai Brugger, Jamie Barton & J'Nai Bridges

About Janai Brugger

Hometown

Illinois, United States of America

Born

1983

Genre

Classical

Born in 1983 and raised in Chicago, Janai Brugger first won acclaim in the early 2010s for her deeply expressive, dramatically compelling performances of lyric soprano roles from the classic repertory. She was exposed to opera at a young age through recordings of singers such as Jessye Norman—one of Brugger's role models—and by attending performances at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Following an auspicious tenure in the Los Angeles Opera’s Young Artist Program, Brugger launched her opera career in earnest in 2012, winning both the distinguished Operalia award and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. The latter of these led to her Met debut as Liù in Puccini’sTurandot (1926), now one of her signature roles; others include Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen (1875) and Clara in Gershwin'sPorgy and Bess (1935)—most notably in the Met’s 2019-20 runaway hit production. In 2015, Brugger was featured on the album Ask Your Mama, a genre-bending choral piece by composer Laura Karpman featuring text by Langston Hughes. In 2021, Brugger teamed with Karpman again to record an elegiac aria for HBO’s series Lovecraft Country.