Meet Andrew Chukwuka Egbuchiem

We were lucky to catch up with Andrew Chukwuka Egbuchiem recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrew Chukwuka, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

I generally have developed the mentality of focusing on my personal journey over the last 10 years. I try very hard to shut out all the noise and work very hard to focus on the journey I see right in front of me. Everyone has a version of you they wish to see or see and what is most important to me is how I see myself and what I see about myself. I cannot be everyone else’s version whilst killing the version I see besides the truth is I know myself better than anyone else. This is how I have learned to be effective or successful when I am the only one in a room that looks like me. I just be me and go from there.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Mr. Andrew Chukwuka Egbuchiem came into limelight as an artist in residence for the Singers of United Land Project between December 2013 and June 2014 touring through the east half of the United States, Kenya, Switzerland. Czech Republic, Poland, and Latvia. Andrew made his opera debut with the Brooklyn Opera Works in 2016 under the tutelage of Lina Tetriani, performing as the Sorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and participated in the Amherst Early Music Festival’s Erismena by Cavalli in 2017. Andrew was a regular soloist with the Brooklyn Philharmonic Chorus between 2018 and 2022 Bernstein’s The Lark, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb in 2018, Pergolesi’s Magnificat, Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit pour Noel in 2019 and the Messiah by Handel. Andrew was in the Chicago Summer Opera’s production of Handel’s opera Silla, as Silla and, as Oberto, in Alter Echo Chamber Opera’s production of Alcina Revamped in August and September 2021 respectively. Mr. Egbuchiem has been featured in recitals in New York, New Jersey, DC, Virginia, Delaware, San Francisco, Milwaukee and Charleston among other cities. In June 2023, Andrew performed at the laureate’s gala with the New York Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Amongst Andrew’s numerous awards is third prize at the New York Classical Music Artists International Voice Competition 2019 and an audience prize for the 2020 World Bach Competition by the Boulder Bach Festival.

Classical music is my first love, the key to the secret garden of my heart, my looking glass, my most powerful magic wand, my life. I see music performance as a way to reach out to another soul using sounds in a way to reach out to another soul in away mere words alone can never express. As I perform, it reveals so much about human emotions – what I feel of love, dreams, fears and life.
Singing started it all. Since childhood, singing has struck me like magic. And over the years that magical process has had its way with me, leading me from simple childhood singing fantasies into the huge world of Classical Music and opera. Singing fills me with a sense of accomplishment and integrity and has proven to be the most amendable vehicle for translating my inner emotions and visions to outer reality.
In my performances, I aspire to create a connection between the music and the listener on both intellectual and emotional levels. I achieve this by focusing on the context of the text, the musical idea and making the performances as organically as possible as though everything is happening at the moment. I endeavor to create a theatrical journey where the audience can see the great drama in the music that is being performed. I endeavor to sing with conviction and always from my heart.
I seek to showcase the best music possible that can be appreciated by audiences of wide-ranging degrees of exposure to classical music while striving to express myself artistically in my best original and personal way. I believe classical music can reach as many people in the world as possible if I create an exciting environment for the audiences. Through this excitement, I am optimistic classical music performance can create a broader audience for classical music.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three most important qualities that has been most impactful in my journey are passion, persistence and bright outlook. The journey of any career especially one like mine is one that requires a lot of patience as well as the other qualities mentioned earlier has been most helpful to me. If I were to advice folks in the early stage of their journey, I will say be patient with yourself and define what your journey would look like in your own terms and adjust as it fits your situation.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

As an artist there are so many moments when you feel overwhelmed. As a classical musician there are many moments when you feel overwhelmed especially when you are doing so much or you are very busy. I personally feel like one needs a moment for themself in between jobs so sometimes I take a step back. I also make a lot of time for relaxation, spend time at home. This keeps me very much centered and doesn’t get me burnout.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Picture 1: W Biederman Photography
Picture 2 Alter Ego Opera
Picture 3: Brooklyn Opera Works

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