Sarah Brightman

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Biography

Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano , actress , songwriter and dancer . She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register . She sings in many languages including English, Spanish, French, Latin, German, Italian, Russian, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese.

Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, she made her West End theatre|West End musical theatre debut in Cats (musical)|Cats and met composer Andrew Lloyd Webber , whom she married. She went on to star in several Broadway theatre|Broadway musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera , where she originated the role of Christine Daaé . The Original London Cast Album of the musical was released in CD format in 1987 and sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it the biggest-selling cast album of all time.

After retiring from the stage and divorcing Lloyd Webber, Brightman resumed her music career with former Enigma (musical project)|Enigma producer Frank Peterson , this time as a Classical music|classical crossover (music)|crossover artist. She is often credited as the creator of this genre and remains among the most prominent performers, with worldwide sales of more than 30 million records and 2 million DVDs, establishing herself as the world's best-selling soprano of all time. Her duet with the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli , " Time To Say Goodbye ", topped charts all over Europe and became the highest and fastest selling single of all time in Germany, where it stayed at the top of the charts for fourteen consecutive weeks and sold over 3 million copies. It subsequently became an international success selling 12 million copies worldwide. She has now collected over 180 gold and platinum sales awards in 38 different countries.

In 2010 she was named by Billboard the 5th most influential and top - selling classical artist of the 2000 's decade in the United States .

Brightman is the first artist to have been invited twice to perform at the Olympic Games , first at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games where she sang " Amigos Para Siempre " with the Spanish tenor Jose Carreras with an estimated global audience of a billion people, and sixteen years later in Beijing , this time with Chinese singer Liu Huan , performing the song " You and Me (Olympic theme song)|You and Me " to an estimated 4 billion people worldwide. Since 2010, Brightman is Panasonic 's global brand ambassador . Together they launched the song "Shall Be Done" at the 2010 Winter Games held in Vancouver , Canada. Brightman is the element of union in Panasonic's signing of Strategic Partnership Agreement with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, as she stars the campaign "The World Heritage Special" that is being aired on the National Geographic Channel in 183 countries and areas. She has also been named promoter of Malaysia's brand promotion campaign "Econation Campaign".

Apart from music, Brightman has begun a film career, making her debut in Repo& #33; The Genetic Opera (2008), a rock opera-musical film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman , and in autumn 2011 and early 2012 Stephen Evans (actor)|Stephen Evans ' "First Night", starring opposite Richard E. Grant . In addition, she formed her own production company , Instinct Films, where her first film is in pre-production. Brightman ranks among Britain's music millionaires with a fortune of £30m (about US$49m)., Times Online, 2 May 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2009

Family and early life

Brightman is the oldest of six children of businessman Grenville Geoffrey Brightman (1934–1992) and Paula Brightman (née Hall). She was raised in Little Gaddesden , a village near Berkhamsted , Hertfordshire , England, and lived in John O'Gaddesden House in the village. At age three, she began taking dance classes at the Elmhurst School for Dance in Camberley , Surrey ., Daily Mail , 22 March 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2008. and went on to perform in local festivals and competitions.Price, Deborah Evans. Billboard Magazine, 19 January 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2008. At age 11, she successfully auditioned for The Arts Educational School, Tring Park , a boarding school specialising in performing arts. Although Brightman was teased by other students and attempted to run away, she nevertheless remained at the school. Later, she auditioned for the Royal Ballet in London but was rejected."Wrapped up in her gift". The Independent . 8 November 1997. Brightman continued to study dance, particularly jazz, as a pupil of choreographer Arlene Phillips . At 13, on 1973 Brightman made her theatrical debut in the musical I and Albert at the Piccadilly Theatre, London, playing one of Queen Victoria's daughters (Vicki).

In 1977, she was recruited to lead Arlene Phillips' troupe Hot Gossip . More provocative than Pan's People, the group had a disco hit in 1978 with " I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper ", which sold half a million and reached number six on the UK Singles Chart|UK charts . Hot Gossip released a follow-up single, " The Adventures of the Love Crusader ", six months later, but it failed to chart, reaching a high of number 53 on the UK Singles Chart|UK charts .Clayton-Lea, Tony. "Call me Ms. Dependable". The Irish Times , 6 February 1999. Brightman, now solo, released more disco singles under Whisper Records, such as " Not Having That! " and a cover of the song " My Boyfriend's Back (song)|My Boyfriend's Back ".Chin, Siew May. Official biography, part one. . In 1979, Brightman appeared on the soundtrack of the movie " The World Is Full of Married Men " and sings the song "Madam Hyde".

1981–1989: Stage career

Enticed by a rave review, Webber went to watch her in the show one evening and was flabbergasted. It seemed inconceivable that he could have missed such vocal talent when she'd been in his show for a year. It would be an awakening that would alter more than just his perception of her. It would alter the course of their careers and lives. The two married in 1984, and Brightman appeared in many of Lloyd Webber's subsequent musicals including Song and Dance and the mass (music)|mass Requiem (Webber)|Requiem , the latter written for her.

Scarcely a year later, Brightman's crystalline recording of Pie Jesu rocketed up the charts, selling 25,000 copies on the first day of release and peaking at number 3; no mean feat for a song in Latin. With classical music permeating the Lloyd Webber household (Brightman was in heavy operatic training at the time), Webber was moved to write the Requiem Mass as a tribute to young victims of war. Its Manhattan premiere, starring Placido Domingo and Sarah Brightman, was filmed by both PBS and the BBC for later broadcast. The LP eventually became UK's top selling classical album of the year and earned Brightman a Grammy nomination as Best New Classical Artist."

Brightman starred as Christine Daaé in Lloyd Webber's adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera . The role of Christine was written specifically for her. Lloyd Webber refused to open The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway theatre|Broadway unless Brightman played Christine. Initially, the American Actors' Equity Association balked, because of their policy that any non-American performer must be an international star. Lloyd Webber had to cast an American in a leading role in his next West End theatre|West End musical before the Equity would allow Brightman to appear (a promise he kept in casting Aspects of Love ). In the end, it was a compromise that more than paid off. "Phantom" chalked up a staggering $17 million in advance sales prior to opening night on Jan 28, 1988, and generated a public and media frenzy that is unmatched since. Time . Brightman performed the show on Broadway for six months "" 18 January 1988. Retrieved 15 October 2006. The original cast album was the first in British musical history to enter the music charts at number one. Album sales now exceed forty million worldwide and it is the biggest selling cast album of all time, and has gone six times platinum in the United States|US , twice platinum in the UK , nine times platinum in Germany , four times platinum in the Netherlands , 21 times platinum in Korea and 17 times platinum in Taiwan .

After leaving Phantom , she performed in a tour of Lloyd Webber's music throughout England, Canada, and the United States, and performed Requiem in the Soviet Union. Studio recordings from this time include the single "Anything But Lonely" from Aspects of Love and two solo albums: the 1988 album The Trees They Grow So High , a compilation of folk song s accompanied by piano, and the 1989 album The Songs That Got Away , a musical theatre compilation of songs cut from shows by composers such as Irving Berlin and Stephen Sondheim , also Brightman sang the song "Make Believe" at the end during the credits of the children's film " Grandpa "; Howard Blake wrote the music and lyrics.

By 1990, Brightman and Lloyd Webber separated. After their divorce, Brightman played the lead in Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love|Aspects in London opposite Michael Praed , before transferring to Broadway theatre|Broadway . Her work in Aspects notwithstanding, Brightman steeled herself and set forth to find her own footing. Perhaps the most poignant declaration of independence came in the form of her second solo album from this period, an eclectic but personal collection of folk-rock songs that she had hand-picked. It was a departure from musical theatre and indeed, a departure for Webber himself. More tellingly, the album bore a most prescient title: As I Came of Age .

1990s: Solo career

Brightman and José Carreras closed the Barcelona Olympic Games singing the theme song "Amigos Para Siempre" ("Friends forever") to a worldwide audience of 3 billion people. The song was released on seven-inch vinyl and CD single. The CD single also has the rarer Spanish version of the song. The lyrics, written by Don Black (lyricist)|Don Black , are in English language|English , except for the title phrase which is repeated in English, Spanish language|Spanish and Catalan language|Catalan .

Her stage career curtailed, Brightman pursued solo recording in Los Angeles. Inspired by the German band Enigma (musical project)|Enigma , she requested to work with one of its members. Her request was answered and in 1991 Brightman traveled to Germany to meet producer Frank Peterson . Their first release was Dive (Sarah Brightman album)|Dive (1993), a water-themed pop album that featured " Captain Nemo (song)|Captain Nemo ", a cover of a song by the Swedish electronica band Dive (Swedish band)|Dive .Demalon, Tom. "". Allmusic. Retrieved 10 February 2007. The album is considered Brightman's first success as a recording solo artist, receiving her first Gold award for exceptional sales in Canada .
Fly (Sarah Brightman album)|Fly (1995), a pop rock album and her second collaboration with Peterson, propelled Brightman to fame in Europe with the hit " A Question of Honour (song)|A Question of Honour ". The song and the video by Frank Papenbroock introduced at the World Boxing Championship match between Germany|Germany's Henry Maske and Graciano Rocchigiani , combined electronic dance music , rock elements, classical strings, and excerpts from the aria "Ebben? ... Ne andrò lontana" from Alfredo Catalani 's opera La Wally .Malich, Daniel. "". Allmusic. Retrieved 10 February 2007.

"Time to Say Goodbye" (" Con te partirò ") was the second Brightman song debuted for Maske, this time at his retirement match. This duet with tenor Andrea Bocelli became an international hit and sold more than 3 million copies in Germany alone, became Germany's best-selling single, and was successful in numerous other countries; the album eventually sold over 12 million copies worldwide. Because of the song's success, a 1996 re-issue of Fly featured "Time to Say Goodbye" as the first track. It is regarded as one of Brightman's, and indeed Bocelli's, signature songs.

Time to Say Goodbye (album)|Timeless (released in 1997, with the title Time to Say Goodbye in the United States) contained "Time to Say Goodbye" and other classical-inspired tracks such as " Just Show Me How to Love You ", a duet with José Cura (originally sung by Dario Baldambembo with the title "Tu Cosa Fai Stasera? "), a cover of the Queen (band)|Queen hit " Who Wants to Live Forever ", and " Tu Quieres Volver ", (originally recorded by the Gipsy Kings ). The album has sold 1.4 million copies in the US and 4 million worldwide.

In March 1998, her own PBS special, Sarah Brightman: In Concert at the Royal Albert Hall , marked the point when she crossed from Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart to the Billboard 200 chart, with Time to Say Goodbye . The same year, Brightman starred A Gala Christmas in Vienna|A Christmas in Vienna along Placido Domingo , Helmut Lottie and Riccardo Cocciante singing traditional Christmas carols. On 7 April 1998 she was one of the guest stars in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th Birthday Celebration singing Hossanaa with Dennis O'Neill , Pie Jesu , Phantom of the Opera with Antonio Banderas , All I Ask of You with Michael Ball (singer)|Michael Ball and Music of the Night . In 1999, she appeared on the album ''I Won't Forget You'' by Princessa , another artist with whom Peterson had worked.

2000–2004: Further international success

Later albums included Eden (Sarah Brightman album)|Eden (1998) (the title track of which was a cover of a song by Belgian band Hooverphonic ), and La Luna (album)|La Luna (2000). These albums, unlike Time to Say Goodbye , incorporated more pop music elements. Reviews were mixed – LAUNCHcast deemed Eden "deliriously sappy",Dumpert, Hazel-Dawn. "". Yahoo& #33; Music . 6 March 2000. Retrieved 4 August 2006. while Allmusic called Eden "a winning combination"Phares, Heather. "". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 August 2006. and La Luna "a solid, stirring collection".Buss, Bryan. "". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 August 2006.

Eden reached #1 on the US Billboard Classical Crossover chart and #65 on the Billboard 200 charts and was certified Gold . La Luna peaked at #17, with 900.000 in US sales receiving Gold as well. In addition, both albums reached #1 on Billboard's Classical Crossover charts. La Luna also reached #1 on the US Billboard Top Internet Albums. In 2000, PBS's La Luna concert, Brightman sang There for Me (Sarah Brightman song)|There for Me in a duet with an up and coming star, Josh Groban . At the end of 2001, Billboard magazine noted Brightman as the most important classical crossover artist from the UK followed by Charlotte Church and Russell Watson , artists with albums on both the Classical Crossover and Billboard 200 charts, a phenomenon which, it said, contributed to a resurgence of UK music in the US after "a historic low" in 1999.
In 2000, Brightman sold more records than Elton John and the Rolling Stones , becoming United States|America 's highest- selling and top touring United Kingdom|British artist .

Brightman ventured for the first time into film acting in 2000 when she was part of the cast of the German film "Zeit der Erkenntnis", based on Rosamunde Pilcher book.

In 2001, Brightman released Classics (Sarah Brightman album)|Classics , an anthology including highlights from three of Brightman's chart-topping releases along with seven new tracks; this was released worldwide except Europe . In the US the album peaked at #66 on the Billboard's 200 charts and promptly went Gold . It reached #2 on Billboard's Classical Crossover charts, Entertainment Weekly although calling Brightman a "stronger song stylist than a singer", gave the album a grade of B-.Bernardo, Melissa Rose. "". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 5 August 2006.
-. Classics was re-released in the Europe as "Classics: The Best of Sarah Brightman" in 2006. The European edition has the same cover art, but a different track listing.

In 2002, Brightman released "The secret" on Sash!|SASH! 's fourth studio album S4!Sash! . This song was re-released in 2007 as "The secret 2007 (Unreleased)" on SASH!'s sixth album 10th Anniversary (Sash& #33; album)|10th Anniversary .

Her 2003 album Harem (album)|Harem represented another departure: a Middle Eastern music|Middle Eastern-themed album influenced by dance music. On Harem , Brightman collaborated with artists such as Ofra Haza and Iraq i singer Kazem al-Saher . Nigel Kennedy contributed violin tracks to the songs " Free (Sarah Brightman song)|Free " and "The War is Over", and Jaz Coleman contributed arrangements.

The album peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200 charts (with sales tracked by Nielsen SoundScan figuring at approximately 333,000, or about one-third the total sales of La Luna ), #1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover chart and #1 on the Swedish Album Chart and yielded a #1 dance/club single with the remix of the title track. Some time later, another single from the album (the ballad "Free", cowritten with Sophie B. Hawkins ) became a second Top-10 hit on this chart. A year later of the album's release, Harem was referred as a multi-million seller in EMI 's annual music sales report.

The albums Eden , La Luna and Harem were accompanied by live world tours which incorporated the theatricality of her stage origins. Brightman acknowledged this in an interview, saying, "They're incredibly complicated... natural. I know what works, what doesn't work, all the old tricks.""Reesman, Bryan. "Siren Soprano". Yahoo& #33; Music. 9 April 2001. Retrieved 4 August 2006. In both 2000 and 2001, Brightman was among the top 10 most popular British performers in the US, with concert sales grossing $7.2 million from 34 shows in 2000 and over $5 million from 21 shows in 2001.name="billboard_ukartists"

In 2004 the Harem tour grossed $60 million and sold 800,000 tickets, $15 million and 225,000 sales of which came from the North American leg, although with ticket prices raised 30% from previous tours, average sales per venue were up 65%. In North America, Harem tour promoters Clear Channel Entertainment (now Live Nation ) took the unusual step of advertising to theatre subscribers, in an effort to reach fans of Brightman's Broadway performances, and also sold VIP tickets, at $750 each, that included in-stage seating during the concert and a backstage pass . Tour reviews were mixed: one critic from the New York Times called the La Luna tour "not so much divine but post-human" and "unintentionally disturbing: a beautiful argument of emptiness."Powers, Ann. "". The New York Times . 27 September 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2006. In contrast, a reviewer from the Boston Globe deemed the Harem tour "unique, compelling" and "charmingly effective."Morse, Steve. "". The Boston Globe . 2 February 2004. Retrieved 28 December 2006.

Television specials on Public Broadcasting Service|PBS were produced for nearly every Brightman album in the U.S.; a director of marketing has credited these as her number-one source of exposure in the country. Indeed, her concert for Eden was among Public Broadcasting Service|PBS 's highest-grossing pledge events.Chin, Siew May. , Metro Times Detroit, 19 November 2000. Retrieved 1 September 2007.

2006–2008: Diva and Symphony

Brightman released a DVD collection of her music videos on 3 October 2006 under the title of Diva: The Video Collection . Diva: The Singles Collection|The Singles Collection is the accompanying CD, released on the same date. The album marked the first time Brightman has released a greatest hits album in the United States; it reached #1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover chart. Her other reflective offerings for Europe were The Very Best of 1990-2000 and Classics: The Best of Sarah Brightman . These four compilation albums were intended as a marketing strategy to bridge the gap between Brightman's previous 2003 album Harem (album)|Harem and her next album that would be released on early 2008.

Brightman was one of the artists featured on the January 2007 series of the prime time BBC One show Just the Two of Us (TV series)|Just the Two of Us , partnered with English cricket er Mark Butcher .. Retrieved 14 December 2006. The pair finished the competition in third place.

Subsequent appearances include the Concert for Diana in July 2007, where she sang " All I Ask of You " from The Phantom of the Opera with Josh Groban . Around 15 million people from across the UK watched Concert for Diana at home, and it was broadcast to over 500 million homes in 140 countries; 7 July 2007 Live Earth concert, Shanghai|Chinese leg of Live Earth in Shanghai, where she performed four songs (" Nessun Dorma ", "La Luna", " Nella Fantasia " and "Time to Say Goodbye") and debuted her single " Running (Sarah Brightman song)|Running " at the 2007 International Association of Athletics Federations|IAAF 2007 World Championships in Athletics|Championships in Osaka, Japan on 25 August. She also participated at the 2007 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade , where she performed "The Journey Home" on the Jolly Polly Pirate Ship. She recorded a duet with Anne Murray singing " Snowbird (song)|Snowbird " on Murray's 2007 album Anne Murray Duets: Friends and Legends .

On May 2007, Brightman was invited along with Lesley Garrett to sing at the Wembley Stadium in London the anthem " Abide With Me before the FA Cup final between Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea and Manchester United ., 14 April 2011./

At a dinner held at Mansion House, London|The Mansion House , on 10 September 2008, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales highlighted the urgent need for action to halt tropical deforestation. The Prince invited Brightman to sing at the event they hosted to engage the financial community in the task of finding a solution to the problem of making rainforests worth more alive than dead. The music performed was Nella Fantasia (used in the The Mission (soundtrack)|soundtrack of the movie The Mission (1986 film)|The Mission ) and further declared a Hymn to the rainforests., 14 April 2011./

On 29 January 2008, Brightman released her first album in five years: Symphony (album)|Symphony , influenced by symphonic metal|gothic music ., CBS News , 29 January 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2008/ The wikt:title track|Title track of the album "Symphony" is a cover of Symphonie (song)|"Symphonie" by the German band Silbermond .
In the United States, it became Brightman's most successful chart entry and also her highest ranked album on Billboard's "Top 200 Albums". It was also a #1 album on two other Billboard's charts: "Top Internet Albums" and "Top Classical Crossover Albums". The album moved there 32,033 copies in first week, according to Nielsen Soundscan . However, the album's success was short-lived in the United States, with sales declining rapidly in the country and disappointing final results. In contrast, the album was a Multi-Platinum and a top 5 release in China , Taiwan , Canada , Mexico , Japan , and Poland , and a top 20 across Europe.

Featured on the album were artists Andrea Bocelli , Fernando Lima , and Kiss (band)|KISS vocalist Paul Stanley , who duets with Brightman on " Where the Lost Ones Go|I Will Be with You ", the album version of the theme song to the 10th Pokémon (anime)|Pocket Monsters motion picture, Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai|Dialga VS Palkia VS Darkrai ( Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai ).Price, Deborah Evans. The song "Symphony" is a cover version of the song "Symphonie" by the German band Silbermond., Reuters , 12 January 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2008. On 16 January 2008, she also appeared in concert at Vienna’s St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna|Stephansdom Cathedral , performing songs from her new album. Special guests who sang duets with Brightman include Italian tenor Alessandro Safina , Argentinean countertenor Fernando Lima , and British singer Chris Thompson (English musician)|Chris Thompson . Brightman made several appearances on television in the United States to promote Symphony , including Fashion on Ice on NBC on 12 January, The View (US TV series)|The View on 30 January, Martha (TV series)|Martha on 31 January and Fox and Friends on the Fox News Channel.

She performed two songs, " Pie Jesu " and " There You'll Be ", at the United States Memorial Day concert on 25 May 2008 held on the United States Capitol#Grounds|west lawn of the United States Capitol in Washington D.C.. The top-rated show was broadcast live on Public Broadcasting Service|PBS before a concert audience of 300,000 and millions more at home, as well as to American troops serving around the world on the American Forces Radio and Television Network., 29 January 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2008/
Brightman made her feature film debut as Blind Mag in the rock musical film Repo& #33; The Genetic Opera which was released on 7 November 2008.
Brightman was cast in the film at the last minute after the original actress who was cast for the role was dropped.
On 8 August 2008, Brightman was honored to sing the Olympic theme song, " You and Me (Olympic theme song)|You and Me ", with Chinese star Liu Huan in both Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin and English at the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony|Beijing Olympics opening ceremony . The event appeased the already established supreme popularity and recognition of Brightman in the Asian country. The performance was broadcast to over five billion viewers. In the 26 hours after the performance, "You and Me" was downloaded 5.7 million times., 24 March 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2010 /

On 4 November 2008, Brightman released her first holiday album, entitled A Winter Symphony , the album debuted at number #38 on the Billboard Top 200 and scored a number six in the Top Holiday Albums , being the first entry for Brightman on this chart. To accompany Symphony (album)|Symphony and A Winter Symphony , Brightman embarked on a tour in Autumn 2008; "The Symphony World Tour" featured new and groundbreaking technology, with virtual and holographic stage sets that had never been seen before in any touring concert production.

In addition to the tour, there were other appearances to promote the Christmas album such as the Walt Disney World Resort|Walt Disney World Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade|Very Merry Christmas parade where Brightman sang "Silent Night" airing on American Broadcasting Company|ABC in the Christmas Morning. Brightman also performed in the Japanese TV show Happy Xmas Show (Nippon Television Network) which was aired on Nippon Television|NTV (Japan) on 23 December. Filmed at St. Brendan Catholic Church in Los Angeles , the songs performed included Lennon's " Happy Christmas (War is Over)" and " Symphony (album)|Symphony ". Finally, the "I Believe in Father Christmas" music video was premiered on Amazon.com|Amazon as part of their Twelve Days of Christmas program. The video was featured on the Music Homepage.

2009–present: Rise in Latin American and Asian markets

Following her performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics|Beijing Olympics , Brightman was appointed as the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Promotion Ambassador in United Kingdom|Britain . In anticipation of the Expo, she launched "Shanghai Week in London", which showcases the city's Cultural heritage|heritage and culture .

In response to persistent calls for a global release of the Symphony: Live in Vienna concert, EMI Music launched worldwide the Public Broadcasting Service|PBS special which features Brightman's landmark performance at Vienna ’s St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna|St. Stephen's Cathedral on January 16th, 2008, in both audio and visual formats. The Symphony — Live in Vienna television special debuted on PBS in March 2008 during the network’s spring pledge drive and aired throughout the month. The album broke all-time records of sales in Taiwan and experienced success in certain Latin American markets.

The music of Brightman was featured in the movie Amarufi: Megami no hôshû (international title: Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess ), which was a special production to mark Fuji Television 's 50th anniversary. The first Japanese movie to be shot entirely on location in Italy. In conjunction with the release of the movie Amalfi , Brightman released only in Japan an album titled Amalfi - Sarah Brightman Love Songs which reached Gold status in the aforementioned country.

Autumn 2009 saw Brightman starting a new concert tour called Sarah Brightman In Concert covering Latin America with 13 sold-out performances in Mexico , Venezuela , Colombia , Peru , Chile , Argentina , and Brazil . The last venue of the tour, "The Concert of the Pyramid" featured Brightman performing a concert at the archaeological site of Chichen Itza , an UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World .

Japanese network NHK premiered in November 2009 the historical drama series Saka no Ue no Kumo ; to give a boost to the rating of the series they put Brightman in charge of the main theme song for the first season. The song's lyrics are entirely in Japanese language|Japanese . Titled "Stand Alone," the song was composed by Joe Hisaishi and written by Kundo Koyama. It was included on the drama's soundtrack album, released on 18 November 2009.

The year closed as Symphony: Live in Vienna was listed as the thirteenth best-selling album of the year in Mexico . (In 2008 she also had 2 top-selling albums in the country: Symphony (album)|Symphony and A Winter Symphony in the 29 and 83 spots respectively)

Since January 2010, Brightman is Panasonic 's global brand ambassador . Together they launched the song "Shall Be Done" at Panasonic's Olympic Pavilion at LiveCity Yaletown, the official celebration site of the 2010 Winter Games held in Vancouver , Canada .
The lyrics of the song express Panasonic's vision for the next generation as well as Brightman's vision, infusing the spirit of 'ideas for life' of contribution for a sustainable society. The song has been used in a wide range of global promotional activities including stores, advertising, exhibitions and other events.

Back in the United States she appeared on 15 September 2010 on America's Got Talent 's finale episode before that season's winner was revealed. The soprano was the celebrity guest duetting with ten year old contestant Jackie Evancho .

Given the increasing popularity of Brightman in Asia , the artist toured there in late 2010 with 5 gigs in Tokyo alone, followed by presentations on Kanazawa, Ishikawa|Kanazawa , Nagoya , Osaka in Japan , Macau in China and Seoul in South Korea . The singer headed to perform in private events in Canada and Ukraine as well as part of the tour.

On 3 November 2010, Brightman was invited to sing at the Todai-ji Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Nara|Nara , Japan . The temple is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site as "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara". The concert was recorded and later broadcasted nationwide by TBS (TV channel)|TBS network.

On 27 January 2011 Hunan Broadcasting System , China's second biggest television network after China Central Television ( CCTV ) invited Brightman to participate in their Spring Festival , analogous celebration to the New Year's celebrations in the Western countries. She sang Scarborough Fair (ballad)|Scarborough Fair -Brightman's evergreen song in China- and Nessun Dorma . For the first time it was revealed that Brightman charges an average of US$ 150,000 for interpretation in such events as Chinese media remarked.
When announcing the arrival of Brightman in their country, local press took the opportunity to mention China's appreciation and gratitude for the singer by her donations for the development of that area of China after the Wenchuan earthquake .

Her popularity continues to rise remarkably in Asia , with high profile appearances and sales. Brightman was South Korea's best-selling international artist of 2010 with her album Diva: The Singles Collection charting the almost the whole year in the #1 spot ahead Mariah Carey , Michael Jackson , Eminem , among others. The album was released in 2006, but charted again in both 2009 and 2010 when Brightman toured there with the The Symphony World Tour|Symphony World Tour and Sarah Brightman In Concert With Orchestra . Diva was certified Double Platinum in South Korea . Also, her digital single " Nella Fantasia " has sold 2 million copies in the country.

Brightman's multifaceted profile grants the importance in the scene that she has today. As her solo version of the single Time to Say Goodbye is a best-seller in Japan and goes Gold in the same country, SC Films International release their new production under the direction of BAFTA winning producer Stephen Evans bringing Sarah Brightman and Richard E. Grant as stars. The film was first screened at 2011' Glasgow Film Festival , and is to be released on late October, November and early December worldwide. First Night is a story of love's fluctuating fortunes set against a backdrop of visual and vocal beauty.

In parallel, on 1 and 2 October 2011, she made a special appearance during the finale of The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera at Royal Albert Hall|The Albert Hall ; a fully staged production performed at the famous London venue - marking 25 years since the musical received its world premiere. Introduced as his Angel of Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Brightman performed the title song backed by five past, present and future Phantoms. The production front of an audience of 5,500 was broadcast live into cinemas around the globe including in the U.S, around Europe, Canada, Japan and Australia.

As 2011 ends, Brightman is continuously embraced by global audiences. In Argentina she dominates the charts and holds with her albums the #1,#2,#3,#4,#7,#8 and #11 positions on the country's top 20's list of the best-selling classical records of the year.

Legal action against YouTube

Brightman succeeded in giving rise to the lawsuit filed against YouTube: a court in Hamburg, Germany banned the web page to display the videos of the soprano protected by copyright.

Moreover, the court ruled that the singer should be compensated. The amount she will receive depends on the number of views her videos have received.

Frank Peterson, Brightman's lifetime producer, filed the law suit in Germany. "The court proceeded on the basis that YouTube appropriated the content uploaded to it's platform by it's users," said a spokeswoman of the tribunal. "This creates a greater obligation in relation to the content of the videos. The court finds that YouTube did not comply with these obligations."

Music and voice

Brightman underwent vocal training first with Elizabeth Hawes, head of the Trinity College of Music|Trinity Music College in London, and later with Ellen Faull of Juilliard School|Juilliard . She currently studies with internationally known voice teacher David Romano. She is a light lyric soprano and has a three-octave vocal range.Alter, Gaby. "". 1 April 2004. Retrieved 22 August 2006. According to Brightman, her voice sometimes reaches an F6.Perusse, Bernard. , Times Colonist , 4 February 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
However, her highest note sung in public and in studio is the E6 final of "The Phantom of the Opera".

David Caddick, a conductor of Phantom , has stated:

"What is amazing about Sarah is that she has two voices, really. She can produce a pop, contemporary sound, but she can also blossom out into a light soprano. The soprano part of her voice can go up to an E natural above high C. She doesn’t sing it full out, but it is there. Of course, she has to dance while she is singing some of the time, so it’s all the more extraordinary."

She sometimes uses her pop and classical voices in the same song. One example is "Anytime, Anywhere" from Eden , a song based on Albinoni 's Adagio in G minor . In the song, she starts out in classical voice, switches to pop voice temporarily, and finishes with her classical voice. Another example is heard in the Lions Gate film Repo& #33; The Genetic Opera , during the songs "Chase The Morning" and "Chromaggia" by her character, Blind Mag.

Brightman's music is generally classified as classical crossover. According to Manhattan Records GM Ian Ralfini, she is largely responsible for the popularity of the genre. In a 2000 interview with People (magazine)|People , Brightman dismissed the classical crossover label as "horrible" but stated she understood people's need to categorise music.Charaipotra, Sona. People (magazine)|People Weekly , 6 November 2000. Her personal influences include '60s and '70s musicians and artists such as David Bowie and Pink Floyd , and she incorporates aspects of genres from pop/rock to classical. Her work has also been compared to that of Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna , Cher and Celine Dion . Joel Selvin|Selvin, Joel . , San Francisco Chronicle , 7 March 2001. Retrieved 1 September 2007. The material on her albums ranges from versions of opera arias from composers such as Giacomo Puccini|Puccini (on Harem , Eden , and Timeless ), to pop songs by artists such as Kansas (band)|Kansas (" Dust in the Wind " on Eden ), Dido (singer)|Dido (" Here with Me (Dido song)|Here with Me " on La Luna ), and Procol Harum (" A Whiter Shade of Pale " on La Luna ). She sings in many languages which are English, Spanish, French, Latin, German, Italian, Russian, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese.

Personal life

At age 18, in 1979, Brightman married Andrew Graham-Stewart, who then managed the German band Tangerine Dream . In 1983, she divorced Graham-Stewart. She met Andrew Lloyd Webber when she performed in Cats , and Lloyd Webber later divorced his first wife, Sarah Hugill, to marry her on 22 March 1984 Larsdotter , Åsa in Hampshire. Their marriage saw intense media and Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid scrutiny. Brightman acknowledged the marriage in a 1999 interview as a "difficult time" but also one of much creative output. They are currently on friendly terms; at the 20th London anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera , Lloyd Webber called Brightman a "wonderful woman" and "absolutely beloved mentor". He appeared as a special guest in her Sarah Brightman: In Concert|1997 concert at the Royal Albert Hall (London). At the 25th Anniversary concert of The Phantom of the Opera , Lloyd Webber introduced her as his "angel of music".

Brightman has suffered several personal crises. In February 1992, her 57-year-old father committed suicide by asphyxiation in his car in Hertfordshire after divorce and financial issues. Later, she experienced an ectopic pregnancy and two miscarriage s with Peterson. In an interview with British magazine Hello! , she said motherhood would have been "lovely" but accepted that she would never have a child.Barber, Richard. Hello& #33; Magazine|Hello! . 5 December 2006.

Sarah Brightman has a younger sister, Amelia Brightman , who has collaborated with both Sarah and Gregorian (band)|Gregorian .

Awards

1986 Grammy Nomination, Best Classical Artist, United States|US

1996 Echo Award nomination: Best Female Artist, Germany

1996 RSH Gold: Best Female Artist, Germany

1997 Echo Award nomination: Best Female Artist

1998 Echo Award : Best Song Time To Say Goodbye

1998 Golden Lion Award: Best Live Performance, Germany

1998 Goldene Europa Award: Best Female Artist, Germany

1998 Guinness Book Entry: Germany’s Best-Selling Single of All Time Time to Say Goodbye

1998 Grammy Taiwan : Best Selling Record Time to Say Goodbye (album)|Timeless

1998 Unesco Hand-in-Hand Award

1999 Czechoslovakian Grammy: Singer of the Year

1999 Echo Award nomination: Best Female Artist, Germany

1999 The Point Trophy, Dublin - Ireland : Highest-Grossing Ticket Sales One Night in Eden

2000 IFPI Award, Europe: Album sales exceeding one million copies in Europe Time to Say Goodbye (album)|Timeless

2001 New Age Voice Music Award, United States|US : Best Vocal Album

2003 Media Control Award, GAS: Biggest Hit of All Time Time To Say Goodbye

2004 Arabian Music Award: Best Collaboration (“The War Is Over” with Kazim Al Saher)

2004 Arabian Music Award: Best Female Artist

2005 New York Film Festival: First Prize, Music Documentary (A Desert Fantasy)

2005 New York Film Festival: Third Prize, Music Video Time to Say Goodbye

2007 The 21st Japan Gold Disc Award 2007: Classic Album of the Year Diva: The Singles Collection

2009 The 23rd Japan Gold Disc Award 2009: Classic Album of the Year A Winter Symphony

2009 The 24th Japan Gold Disc Award 2010: Classic Album of the Year Amalfi - Sarah Brightman Love Songs

2009 Mexico's Lunas del Auditorio nomination: Best Pop-album in foreign language Symphony: Live in Vienna

2010 Mexico's Lunas del Auditorio nomination: Best Pop-artist in foreign language

Golden Key to the city of Chicago

Golden Key to the city of Istanbul

Stage credits

Musicals

I and Albert (as Vicky and street waif), 1973 Picadilly Theatre, London

Cats (musical)|Cats (as Jemima), 1981 New London Theatre

The Pirates of Penzance (as Kate), 1982

Masquerade (musical)|Masquerade (as Tara Treetops), 1982

Nightingale (musical)|Nightingale (as Nightingale), 1982 Buxton Festival and the Lyric, Hammersmith

Song and Dance (as the girl), Palace Theatre in London on 28 April 1984

The Merry Widow (as Valencienne), 1985

The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera (as Christine Daaé), 1986 Her Majesty's Theatre London, 1988 Broadway

Aspects of Love (as Rose Vibert), 1990

Plays

'' Trelawny of the 'Wells'|Trelawny of the Wells (as Rose Trelawney), 1992

Relative Values (play)|Relative Values (as Miranda Frayle), 1993 Chichester Festival and Savoy Theatre

Dangerous Obsession (as Sally Driscoll), 1994 Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke

The Innocents (play)|The Innocents (as Miss Giddens), 1995 Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke

Filmography

Granpa , 1989 animated children's film, singing "Make Believe" over the end credits

Brokedown Palace , 1999 singing "Deliver me".

Zeit der Erkenntnis , 2000 feature film (Germany), as herself

Repo& #33; The Genetic Opera , 2008 feature film, as Blind Mag

Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess|Amarufi: Megami no hôshû ( Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess ), 2009 feature film (Japan), as herself

First Night (aka Cosi) , 2010 feature film, as Celia

Selected discography

Studio albums

1988: The Trees They Grow So High (album)|The Trees They Grow So High

1990: As I Came Of Age

1993: Dive (Sarah Brightman album)|Dive

1995: Fly (Sarah Brightman album)|Fly

1997: Time to Say Goodbye (album)|Time to Say Goodbye

1998: Eden (Sarah Brightman album)|Eden

2000: La Luna (album)|La Luna

2003: Harem (album)|Harem

2008: Symphony (album)|Symphony

2008: A Winter Symphony

Albums with Lloyd Webber

1989: The Songs That Got Away

1992: Sarah Brightman Sings the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber

1995: Surrender (Sarah Brightman album)|Surrender

1997: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection

2002: Encore (Sarah Brightman album)|Encore

2005: Love Changes Everything (Sarah Brightman album)|Love Changes Everything

Compilation albums

2001: The Very Best of 1990-2000 & Classics (Sarah Brightman album)|Classics

2006: Classics: The Best of Sarah Brightman & Diva: The Singles Collection

2009: Amalfi - Sarah Brightman Love Songs & Bella Voce (Sarah Brightman album)|Bella Voce

|-

Duets

Andrea Bocelli & nbsp;– " Time to Say Goodbye ", " Canto Della Terra "

Plácido Domingo & nbsp;– Requiem Mass|Requiem (Lloyd Webber) , "The Closing of the year", "La ci darem la mano", "Love Unspoken", "Time to say goodbye", "La Traviata: Libiamo ne' lieti calici... Brindisi", "Die Lustige Witwe& nbsp;– Lippen Schweigen","The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You", "West Side Story: Maria & Tonight"

Sir John Gielgud & nbsp;– "Gus: the Theatre Cat"

José Carreras & nbsp;– "Amigos para Siempre ", "Love Unspoken", "La Traviata: Libiamo ne' lieti calici... Brindisi"", "Subaru"

Michael Crawford & nbsp;– The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)

José Cura & nbsp;– "Just Show Me How to Love You", "There for Me"

Josh Groban & nbsp;– "There for Me", "All I Ask of You"

Andrew Lloyd Webber & nbsp;– "Whistle Down the Wind"

Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones & nbsp;– "Something in the Air"

Antonio Banderas & nbsp;– "The Phantom of the Opera"

Cliff Richard & nbsp;– "All I Ask of You", "Only You"

Gregorian (band)|Gregorian & nbsp;– "Moment of Peace", "Join Me", "Héroes", "When A Child is Born", "Send Me An Angel", "Voyage Voyage", "Don’t Give Up"

Riccardo Cocciante & nbsp;– "Frohlice Weihnacht", "Cantemos Rapaces", "Child in a Manger", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "Silent Night"

Kadim Al Sahir & nbsp;– "The War is Over"

Nigel Kennedy & nbsp;– "Free"

Ofra Haza & nbsp;– "Mysterious Days"

Chris Thompson (English musician)|Chris Thompson & nbsp;– "How Can Heaven Love Me", "I Will Be With You (Where The Lost Ones Go)", "The Phantom of the Opera"

Fernando Lima & nbsp;– "Pasión", "Ave Maria"

Alessandro Safina & nbsp;– "Sarai Qui", "Canto Della Terra", "The Phantom of the Opera" (Symphony World Tour& nbsp;– México, Asia)

Mario Frangoulis & nbsp;– "Carpe Diem", "Sarai Qui", "Canto Della Terra", "The Phantom of the Opera" (Symphony World Tour& nbsp;– EE.UU., Canadá)

Paul Stanley & nbsp;– "I Will Be With You (Where The Lost Ones Go)"

Liu Huan & nbsp;– "You And Me"

Dj Schiller & nbsp;– "The Smile", "I've Seen it All"

Sash! & nbsp;– "The Secret Still Remains" or "The Secret" & "The Secret (2007)"

Prince Ital Joe Feat. Mark Wahlberg|Marky Mark & nbsp;– "Happy People", " Life in the Streets " (Background vocals Sarah Brightman)

Michael Ball (singer)|Michael Ball & nbsp;– "All I Ask of You", "Seeing is Believing"

Andrzej Lampert & nbsp;– "I Will Be With You (Where The Lost Ones Go)"

Sergey Penkin& nbsp;– "I Will Be With You (Where The Lost Ones Go)"

I Muvrini & nbsp;– "Tu Quieres Volver"

Eric Adams (singer)|Eric Adams & nbsp;– "Where The Eagles Fly"

Jacky Cheung & nbsp;– "There For Me"

Steve Harley & nbsp;– "The Phantom of the Opera"

Erkan Akin & nbsp;– "Just Show Me How To Love You","The Phantom of the Opera", "Canto della Terra" and "Sarai Qui" in "Sarah Brightman In Concert 2009" a Tour in South America "Latin American Tour".

Paul Miles-Kingston & nbsp;– "Pie Jesu"

Connar Burrowes: "Pie Jesu" (This Is Your Life: Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1994)

Adam Clack: "Pie Jesu" (In Concert "At The Royal Albert Hall"& nbsp;– 1997)

Ben De'Ath: "Pie Jesu" (The Andrew Lloyd Webber Celebration, 1998)

Andrew Swait : "Pie Jesu" (The Classical Brit Awards& nbsp;– 8 May 2008)

Eric Scott Kincaid& nbsp;– "The Phantom of the Opera"

David Malek& nbsp;– "The Phantom of the Opera: All I Ask Of You"

Mark Butcher & nbsp;– "Take The Weather With You", "Heroes", "Leaving On A Jet Plane", "Let's Face The Music And Dance", "Music Of The Night", " Ain't No Sunshine", "The Rose", "Moon River"

Princessa & nbsp;– "Calling You" (1996) (Background vocals Sarah Brightman)

Anne Murray & nbsp;– "Snowbird"

Betty Buckley & nbsp;– "Memory" (Kennedy Center Honor& nbsp;– 3 December 2006)

Lesley Garrett & nbsp;– "Abide with me" (FA Cup Final 19 May 2007)

Jackie Evancho & nbsp;– " Time To Say Goodbye " - ( America's Got Talent - 15 September 2010)

These Duets were announced but were never made:

Florent Pagny & nbsp;– "Just Show Me How To Love You"

Biondo & nbsp;– "I Will Be With You (Where The Lost Ones Go)"

Tours

" A Timeless Evening With Sarah Brightman " (UK and Germany) 1997

" One Night In Eden Tour " 1999 (Worldwide)

" La Luna World Tour " 2000–2001 (Worldwide)

" Harem World Tour " 2004–2005 (2004: Worldwide, 2005: Mini-Tour in Japan)

" The Symphony World Tour " 2008–2009 (America & Asia)

" Sarah Brightman In Concert " October 2009 (Latin America)

" Sarah Brightman In Concert With Orchestra " October 2010 (Japan, Korea and Macau)

Copyright Citations

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