Daniel Brevik, Bass-baritone
B i o g r a p h y
American bass-baritone and social media influencer, Daniel Brevik, blends the grandeur of opera with the dynamic world of digital content, captivating audiences worldwide with his exceptional vocal prowess and engaging online presence. Founder of "StudioBrev," Brevik has become a sensation with an expansive reach, boasting over 600,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, 490,000 TikTok followers, and 690,000 followers on Instagram. Additionally, he has over 175,000 followers on Facebook, 65,000 followers on Threads, and 35,000 subscribers on YouTube. His channels not only showcase his musical talents but also offer insights into his teaching philosophy, amassing over 100 million views and translating into more than 20 years of streamed content worldwide.
A recipient of the Richard Gaddes Career Grant from the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the Wendy Shattuck Presidential Scholarship from the New England Conservatory, Brevik was hailed by The Washington Post for having "an impressive, sonorous voice," while Opera Today claimed he could "rattle the rafters one moment and be lullingly conversational the next." Brevik's talents were highlighted by his role as Ernest Hemingway in the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's "Twenty-Seven," a performance that not only landed him on the cover of Opera News but also featured him on the album recorded with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. He later reprised his role with the Orchestra of St. Luke's in his New York debut at City Center Theatre, and again at Intermountain Opera in Bozeman, Montana.
Notable venues Brevik has performed in include Boston's Symphony Hall, St. Louis' Powell Hall, Lyric Opera of Chicago's Civic Opera House, Amarillo Texas' Globe-News Center, Venice Italy's St. Marks Cathedral, and the Vietnam Opera and Ballet in Hanoi, Vietnam. He was a featured soloist during the highly acclaimed Salzburg Festival in Salzburg, Austria, and his rapid-fire coloratura in Handel's "Messiah" and booming baritone in Beethoven's 9th Symphony have been particularly praised.
In the digital sphere, "BigBrev," as Brevik is popularly known, has made a profound impact. His collaboration on "Valhalla Calling" by Miracle of Sound has garnered a remarkable 42 million streams across various platforms, showcasing his unique ability to blend classical and modern musical styles seamlessly. His performance alongside Avi Kaplan of Pentatonix in 2022 further underscored his diverse appeal and adaptability as an artist.
Brevik's recent collaboration with Bobby Bass and the Bass Singers of TikTok on a rendition of Hans Zimmer’s "Hoist The Colours" has notably risen to prominence, capturing the title of the world's third top-trending song on social media, underpinned by the vibrant hashtag #NorthSea. This cover didn't just climb to the peak of social media trends; it also secured the top spot on Spotify's official “Sea Shanties” playlist. Featured in over 300,000 videos, their collective efforts have amassed a staggering 3 billion streams across multiple platforms.
During the 2019-2020 season, Brevik performed at Intermountain Opera Bozeman in Ricky Ian Gordon’s "Twenty-Seven," returning to the role he created. In the summer of 2019, Brevik made his London debut singing in "Silver Jubilee," a one-month concert tour where all proceeds were donated to the Mathieson Music School in Kolkata, India. In 2017-2018, he was the bass soloist in Haydn’s "Mass in a Time of War" in New Haven, CT, and "Lord Nelson’s Mass" with The New Hampshire Music Festival. He was also the featured soloist in Benjamin Britten’s "Rejoice in the Lamb" in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 2016, Brevik made his New York premiere at City Center Theatre with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s under the baton of Ted Sperling, where he received praise for his larger-than-life display of Ernest Hemingway.
Brevik performed at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis from 2013-2015, starting as a Gerdine Young Artist, earning the Richard Gaddes Career Grant. At OTSL, Brevik performed both lead and supporting roles. It was here that he was hand-picked by Ricky Ian Gordon to create the role of Ernest Hemingway and record an album with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra in the opera "Twenty-Seven." The role landed him on the cover of the highly acclaimed magazine Opera News alongside Met Opera superstar Stephanie Blythe. In 2015, Brevik performed the role of Pastor Avery in Tobias Picker’s "Emmeline," where Opera Today celebrated Brevik’s “well-served, ample bass.”
During the off-season, OTSL structured a series of outreach events where Brevik performed for inner-city children around the St. Louis and Ferguson, MO area. Daniel got to work one-on-one with children in "The Very Last Green Thing," an opera about protecting the planet. He captivated the youth at juvenile detention centers, performing a wide array of styles from opera arias and musical theatre numbers to jazz standards and R&B classics. Brevik developed a love for educational outreach and decided to pioneer a two-month concert tour to Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia, performing for the impoverished children and elderly in countries such as Moldova, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
In 2011, upon winning first place at the Boston NATS song and aria competition, Brevik was the selected recipient of the Wendy Shattuck Presidential Scholarship to attend New England Conservatory free of charge. While there, Brevik performed "The Songs of Travel" by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Taken under the wing of Stephen Lord (listed among the top “25 Most Powerful Names in U.S. Opera” by Opera News), Brevik earned his Masters of Music from NEC and performed the role of Hel Helson in Benjamin Britten's "Paul Bunyan," and Don Pedro de Hinoyosa in Offenbach’s "La Périchole." He received his B.A. in Music from Plymouth State University.
Today, Brevik resides in Western Massachusetts, where he is on the voice faculty at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School Community Division, as well as at the Falcetti School of Music in Simsbury, CT.
Stephanie Blythe and Daniel Brevik in Ricky Ian Gordon's "27"
Opera Theatre of Satint Louis
Photo credit: J. David Levy
The very last green thing
Opera Theatre of Satint Louis