BY: Simona Siad

IT’S NOT EVERYDAY you meet an illustrious soprano who loves singing Justin Timberlake songs in her bathroom. But, hey, that’s just Measha.

“It’s music that makes you want to shake your money- maker,” she says, laughing. “I’m sorry, but it’s true. There’s nothing that will get your engine running and rally the troops like ‘Sexy Back.’”

But it’s exactly that juxtaposition –– her cool and sassy demeanour with classical vocal skills to match –– that has continued to make Measha Brueggergosman, the New Brunswick-bred soprano, so appealing to her fans.

To merely call her repertoire distinguished would be a gross understatement. From performing with numerous prestigious symphony orchestras around the world, to singing for the Prince of Wales and Nelson Mandela, she’s done more than prove she’s made it as a star soprano.

But this is no overnight success story. It’s been a long time coming for the 30-year-old, who spent her childhood listening to classical music on CBC and singing at the United Baptist Church in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Brueggergosman, speaking on the phone from her hotel room in Spain recalls those moments clearly: “I’ve always felt very supported and edified. Whether it’s by my parents, my hometown or the teachers I have studied with.” She can even remember how members from her hometown held fundraisers to help send her to university, and how that support ultimately gave her a sense of purpose and responsibility.

“I could never consider not doing well in school, because I knew what people had sacrificed to get me there,” she says.

After studying music at the University of Toronto, Brueggergosman went on to complete a master’s degree in music at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Dusseldorf, Germany.

But Brueggergosman stands out for more than just her obvious talent. She’s unapologetically herself: from how she wears her hair (big, big, big!) and her eclectic musical preferences (she admits she could be Jann Arden’s stalker) to her international work abroad (she recently premiered Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the La Scala Orchestra in Accra, Ghana marking the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence). Even her last name is a crazy amalgam of her husband’s last name and her own.

Watch Measha sing Joni Mitchell’s Both Side now here:

If you happened to catch her performance as a guest judge on Project Runway Canada, (she sent a designer home because she wouldn’t listen to directions), it gave great insight into how this star soprano has gotten so far. Measha clearly knows what she wants, how she wants it and when she wants it.

“You truly are a diva,” said supermodel Iman admiringly during the show.

But don’t mistake her take-charge attitude for anything but ambition, because although it’s generally accepted that opera fans can be a tad bit elitist, this vivacious vocalist is quickly eroding opera’s snob appeal and making the genre seem more hip and accessible. She mingles with fans of all musical backgrounds, ages and ethnicities, even on MySpace, where she hosts her own page and chats with her fans.

Not to mention the fact that she’s a black opera singer in a genre of music that, with the exception of legendary Jessye Norman and Wilhelmina Wiggins Fernandez, has been reserved for mostly white sopranos. But according to Brueggergosman, race was never an issue growing up. In fact, it was her parents who instilled in her the confidence to dream beyond racial boundaries.

“I was raised to do no less than my full potential,” she says. “In addition to wanting to break many cycles (poverty, alcoholism) of his childhood, my father wanted to make sure we never felt limited, hindered or weighed down by race. My parents instead focused on education as power.”

And unless you’re one of this diva’s devotees, you may also not have noticed that there’s been a lot less of her to love of late. A few years ago, she made headlines by losing nearly 175 pounds through a mixture of diet and exercise –– she swears by Bikram heat yoga.

Despite the weight loss, like all women, she admits she still has moments when she does not feel comfortable in her own skin.

“Listen, girl,” she says laughing, “it’s an ongoing journey. I think a lot about wanting to like myself more. Wanting to be honest about the things I like about myself and acknowledge when I’m just feeding myself a load of crap.”

In the end, regardless of the music she makes or the places she’ll go, Brueggergosman will undoubtedly continue to make her fans and family proud. But don’t think for a minute that with all this fame she has lost touch with her roots.

“When I’m out there, I’m representing Christ, I’m representing my parents, New Brunswick and Canada,” she says. “I know it’s bigger than me.”

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