Alumni to Watch

Renaissance woman travels the world, yet remains true to her roots

Arlyn Brewster (B.A., Music Education, '57) is a true Renaissance woman. She has conducted, directed, staged, produced and performed in major musical theater, opera, choral and orchestra presentations all over the world and yet, somehow she found the time to establish Showcase Concerts, an umbrella for her performance groups, Royal Renaissance Singers and Opera-Tunity. Not only that, but she is celebrating her 50th year as alumna of the Herberger College of the Arts.

Arlyn Brewster

"When you do what you love, time goes so fast," said Arlyn of her Golden Alumna status. "I enjoy finding and discovering young artists and I seem to have a real talent for it." Indeed she does. Five of her singers have Met performance credits and many others perform all over the world.

Arlyn credits the arts education she received at ASU for allowing her to make a living doing what she loves, sometimes a rarity in the arts, especially to find a career spanning half a century.

"The music education I received and the teachers that I had were pivotal to my success," said Arlyn. "They were so dedicated to excellence, and they demanded it from their students." She especially appreciates the time and talents of David and Cecilia Scoular.

"Cecilia would bring in guest artists and I was given the privilege of being their escorts while they were on campus. It was an honor, and more than that, I learned artist management," said Arlyn. "David was an inspiration my whole life. He put on concerts at the MU, back before Gammage, and inspired me in directing, conducting and producing."

Though an Arizona native, Arlyn has traveled the world; she has conducted by invitation in Royal Albert Hall, London; Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris; and The Palace de Belles Artes, Mexico City. Her choral groups have toured, also by invitation, throughout Mexico and Europe and have appeared in Carnegie Hall. Not forgetting her roots, Arlyn has also conducted in Phoenix Symphony Hall and Herberger and Orpheum Theaters in Phoenix.

She recounted her favorite career moment, "I loved conducting at Royal Albert Hall. It's so famous, and such a gigantic place. I'd never thought I'd be there, much less conducting. It was truly an honor to have been invited."

She has also shared her talents with local audiences, narrating with the Phoenix Symphony in Peter and the Wolf, Alice in Wonderland, Tubby the Tuba, Carnival of the Animals andthe Arizona premier of Tom Twist by thenotedcontemporary composerLibby Larsen. Arlyn serves as guest lecturer and workshop leader in the arts, and often judges local and national vocal competitions. She served on Boards of the Arizona Opera Company and the Herberger College of the Arts.

Her two performing groups, the Royal Renaissance Singers, founded in 1978 and Opera-Tunity, founded in 1986, are member organizations of the Arizona Commission on the Arts - Artist Roster. In 2006, Arlyn helped establish Iron Springs Opera in Prescott, also under the Showcase Concerts umbrella. Showcase Concerts, Inc., is dedicated to presenting unique programs of the highest quality using Arizona-based artists, with an emphasis on education. Arlyn remains hands-on and serves as special events director for Showcase Concerts, contracting artists and producing shows.

Arlyn Brewster

Arlyn, in black, surrounded by her opera-loving protégés.

Her desire to help emerging, young talent keeps her active. She continues volunteer work as co-director of the Arizona Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, oversees the vocal auditions of the Herberger Theatre Young Artist Competition, is a board member for Young Arts of Arizona, the Metropolitan Opera National Council-New York, and the National Society of Arts and Letters. In 2008, Arlyn will serve as the Career Awards Chair for the National Society of Arts and Letters National Vocal Competition.

Remembering her days as an arts student at ASU, Brewster's passion is providing career opportunities for Arizona performing artists-past, present and future. Several performers in Opera-Tunity include Herberger College alumni, Jeffrey Stevens (M.M., Performance, '84 and D.M.A., Solo Performance, '97), Jennifer Song (B.M., Performance,'84), Mark Fearey (M.M., Performance,'96) and Ken Goodenberger (Choral Education, ''82).

"Young talent has a really difficult time getting started, especially between graduation and their first job," explained Arlyn. "I want to give them experience, performance opportunities and see them discover they can earn a living at what they love. They're wonderful, inspirational and keep me young.

We're working on the Met Auditions again in October. It will be at ASU," said Arlyn. "In addition to my work with organizations like the Met, I like to work with local venues, to keep good talent here and not send it away. That's why I started Opera-Tunity."

Arlyn has been dispelling stuffy ideas about opera since she established the small professional opera company, which is widely acclaimed for its educational program. Opera-Tunity outreach involves pre-school through adult audiences, and includes study guides, "informances" (lectures with music) and concert presentations.

In addition to her musical endeavors, Arlyn was appointed to Arizona Academy of Town Halls three times, was a finalist for the Outstanding Woman of the Year for her work in foster children legislation, was appointed to a seven-year term on the County Welfare Advisory Board and served on the National Safety Council Advisory Board.

And, if all that isn't adventure enough, Arlyn loves to travel and is a dabbling archeologist. She cites her most exciting adventure as falling into the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe.

"I went with some friends with who were doing missionary work. We decided to go on safari which included rafting the Zambezi," recounted Arlyn. "I went over the front of the raft and was stuck under it. I held on, breathing every time the raft went into the air, then I'd be plunged back under water. After I got out, and I put it into perspective, I realized what a truly unique adventure it was. And, I was thankful for all my conducting because I had really strong arms to hold on to the raft. You could almost say conducting saved my life."