(Megan Brunning was an excellent Queen of the Night, both her arias, with lightning clean coloratura runs and bombproof top notes, were absolutely impressive.)
ioco.de
"Die Koloratursopranistin Megan Brunning brilliert als Königin der Nacht
in virtuoser Kälte in den höchsten Lagen"
(Coloratura soprano Megan Brunning shines as the Queen of the Night
in virtuosic coldness in the highest registers)
Hamburger Abendblatt
"Megan Brunning beeindruckte in ihren dramatischen Koloraturarien
als Königin der Nacht mit glasklaren, funkelnden Spitzentönen."
(Megan Brunning impressed in her dramatic coloratura arias as the
Queen of the Night with crystal clear, sparkling top notes.)
ioco.de
Coloratura soprano Megan Brunning's “bombproof top notes” (ioco.de) have served her well as Mozart’s iconic Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte. Previous engagements as the Queen of the Night include the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Hamburger Kammeroper, St. Petersburg Opera, Asheville Lyric Opera, Sugar Creek Opera, and touring educational outreach with Opera for the Young. From 2018 to 2020, Megan spread “Der Hölle Rache” throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as a guest soprano with Princess Cruises. She has also appeared with Nederlandse Reisopera, Painted Sky Opera, Opera New Hampshire, Bard Summerscape, Opera del West, Amore Opera, Opera Company of Brooklyn, Scenic City Opera, The Atlanta Opera, Greensboro Light Opera and Song, Songfest at Colburn, Harrower Summer Opera Workshop, Greek Opera Studio, and the Festival of the Aegean.
Additional roles include Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, Olympia in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Norina in Don Pasquale, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Cunegonde in Candide, the title role in Handel's Semele, and Gilbert & Sullivan damsels Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance and Gianetta in The Gondoliers. In 2022, Megan appeared with the Hamburger Kammeroper as the Queen of the Night in a world premiere of Die Zauberflöte zweiter Teil, a Mozart pastiche with libretto by Goethe.
In the summer of 2017, Megan performed in Gramercy Opera’s The Fairy Queen: "Another highlight was Megan Brunning’s excellent portrayal of Hermia. She stepped in to cover the role at the last minute, but one would have never known that she prepared the character on one day’s notice because of her performance’s subtle finesse." (felixjarrarmusic.com) As Konstanze with Capitol City Opera, "Megan Brunning simply owned the night...Her presence in the cast was the most musically valuable of the evening." (newoutpost.com)
As a concert performer, Megan most recently appeared as soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah at Plymouth Church in Des Moines, Iowa and in Handel's Dixit Dominus with the Spoleto Festival USA. Other concert engagements include Handel’s Messiah with St. Bart’s NYC, Rutter’s Mass of the Children with the Athens Choral Society, excerpts from Bernstein’s Candide with University of Georgia orchestras, Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42 with UGA choirs and orchestra, and Corigliano’s Fern Hill with the Emory University Mastersingers. Megan frequently accompanied the choirs of the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta, featured as a soloist in performances of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Arvo Pärt’s Passio, Bach’s Ein feste burg ist unser Gott, and Handel’s Dixit Dominus. She can be heard as a soloist with the Cathedral Choir and Schola on the albums Into the House and Gate of Heaven and American Canticle, available through Gothic Records and NAXOS.
Megan was a 2019 Orpheus Vocal Competition Semifinalist, 2018 New Hampshire Opera Idol Finalist, the winner of the 2017 Elaine Malbin Vocal Competition, a finalist in the 2016 New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera Competition, and a semifinalist in the 2015 James Toland Vocal Arts Competition. Other awards include the Second Place Encouragement Award in the 2015 Pro-Mozart Society of Atlanta Competition, 2012 Opera Birmingham Competition Semifinalist, and 2012 University of Georgia Concerto Competition Winner. In 2013, Megan competed as a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She received an encouragement award from the 2014 MONC Georgia District Auditions.
As an ensemble member, Megan has performed at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space (NYC), Barclays Center (Brooklyn), The White House, St. Paul's Cathedral (London), Canterbury Cathedral, Barclays Arena (Hamburg), Porsche Arena (Stuttgart), PSD Bank Dome (Düsseldorf), Olympiahalle (München), ZAG Arena (Hannover), and Mercedes-Benz Arena (Berlin).
Megan is the CEO (Chief Exercise Officer) of internationally loved video series, operaerobics, a mashup of opera’s greatest hits, aerobics routines, and 80s fitness fashion. When she is not singing, Megan is a master of thrift stores and loves to spend time with family and friends, discover new vegan restaurants, stuff herself with cake and macarons, write songs about vegetables, and play with other people's dogs. In 2020, Megan began creating quirky accessories out of secondhand materials, a venture that has provided a treasured, nonmusical outlet of creativity. You can see her work at veggessories.etsy.com!