Lawrence Brownlee is a leading figure in opera, both as a singer who has graced the world's top stages, and as a voice for activism and diversity in the industry. Captivating audiences and critics around the globe, he has been hailed as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertory” (The New York Times), “one of the world’s leading bel canto stars” (The Guardian), and “one of the most in-demand opera singers in the world today”(NPR).

Highlights for Brownlee's 2025-2026 season include two Metropolitan Opera appearances in the roles of Tonio in La fille du régiment and Lord Arturo Talbot in I Puritani. Brownlee returns to the New National Theatre in Tokyo for his role debut as Il duca di Mantova in Rigoletto and Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola at the Paris National Opera. In the fall, Brownlee and Erin Morley's debut recording, Golden Age will be released on Pentatone. The pair will embark on a Golden Age recital tour with dates in the US and Europe. Brownlee will also appear as a recitalist at Wigmore Hall and Parlance Chamber Concerts.  

In spring 2021, Brownlee joined The Juilliard  School as a Distinguished Visiting Faculty Member. He serves as artistic advisor for Opera Philadelphia, and is an Ambassador for Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Lyric Unlimited as well as Opera for Peace. Highlights of Brownlee’s recent past seasons include role debuts as the title role in Mitridate, re di ponto at the Boston Lyric Opera, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor at New National Theatre Tokyo, and Fernand in a new production of Donizetti’s La Favorite with Houston Grand Opera as well as role reprisals at the Metropolitan Opera, Opera Bastille in Paris, New National Theatre in Tokyo, and State Opera Munich.

Amidst the challenges of COVID-19, Brownlee emerged as a pivotal voice in classical music’s shift toward digital programming and the resurgence of conversations around racial justice. A passionate advocate for diversity initiatives, Mr. Brownlee works with companies and engages civic organizations in the cities he visits to create programs and experiences seeking to expand opera audiences. In May 2020, Brownlee launched “The Sitdown with LB,” a weekly Facebook Live series exploring the experience of being an African-American opera singer. In 2021, Brownlee expanded the series to include a segment titled “Inside the Industry” where he shifted the focus to a behind-the-scenes look at the opera industry. In 2023, Brownlee released his GRAMMY^TM-nominated album Rising, a recording project that set poetry from the Harlem Renaissance to song in commissioned works from six of today’s leading African-American composers. The album, named one of The New Times' best classical music albums of 2023, was also supported by a North American tour with pianist and collaborator Kevin J. Miller.

Brownlee is a Grand Prize Winner of the 2001 Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. Brownlee is a winner of numerous awards and distinctions including “Male Singer of the Year” (2017 International Opera Awards), the Kennedy Center’s Marian Anderson Award, and the Opera News Award (2021). In October 2019, he had the distinct honor of singing at Jessye Norman’s funeral in her hometown of Augusta, Georgia. In 2024, Brownlee was awarded the title Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of The Order of Arts and Letters) by the Cultural Counselor of France.