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Who Is Mandy Brigham? All About Billie Eilish’s Old Choir Teacher As She Speaks Of Singer’s Oscars Speech
Billie Eilish thanked her old choir director for winning the Oscar in the Best Song category.
There was one person that Eilish couldn’t forget to thank after she and her brother Finneas won Best Original Song for “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie at the 2024 Oscars on March 10. The “Ocean Eyes” hitmaker addressed the assembly, saying, “Ms. Brigham, thanks for believing in me, Ms. T. You didn’t like me, but you were good at your job,” she said.
Who is Mandy Brigham?
With Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Associate Artistic Director Mandy Brigham is on her 22nd and last season. She runs LACC’s music literacy and voice coaching programs and leads the Intermediate Choir. Brigham has prepared choristers for engagements with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Angeles Chorale, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Britten100/LA, which is conducting the composer’s Prodigal Son. Under the direction of conductors James Conlon, Grant Gershon, Alan Gilbert, and Kent Nagan, she has helped prepare the children’s chorus for multiple LA Opera productions, including the current season’s productions of Tosca, Otello, El Gato montés, Carmen, La Boheme, Grendel, and The Magic Flute.
Brigham completed her graduate studies at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and received her Bachelor of Music degree. Morten Lauridsen, James Vail, and Charles Hirt are among her instructors there. Kyra Humphrey and Paul Salamunovich are two other notable mentors. Brigham has overseen the vocal music program at Balboa Boulevard Magnet School in Northridge for over 20 years, in addition to her work at LACC. She also gives presentations at conferences and workshops for other educators and conductors.
The Los Angeles Children’s Chorus held its 2023 Spring Gala on Thursday, March 23, at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, drawing well over 200 attendees. Mandy Brigham, the Associate Artistic Director, was celebrating her retirement from LACC after 22 years of service.
Brigham is happy for Billie and Finneas
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mandy Brigham said she missed the announcement during the annual awards show but quickly understood. “I attended the Indian Wells Open tennis events. I then began to receive text messages. The now-retired instructor claimed in the interview that was released on Thursday, “I’ve received more text messages than I’ve ever received in my life.”
When Eilish was eight years old in 2010, the Grammy winner began receiving instruction from the renowned Los Angeles Children’s Chorus teacher. She was, to put it mildly, “flabbergasted” when she learned about the mention. She told THR, “I never thought anything like that would ever happen to me.”
She also expressed to the source how much it meant to her that Eilish acknowledged her influence even after all these years. When she and Finneas received their Academy Award nomination in January, they also thanked each other. At the time, the couple released a joint statement expressing their immense honor at being nominated for What Was I Made For? “We have always loved films, music in cinema, and the Academy Awards, so this is important to us. We appreciate the Academy, its members, and the opportunity to be honored among so many honored and deserving composers.”
The Barbie cast and crew, as well as Lucky Chap Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures, received their deepest gratitude from them. Gerwig and Noah Baumbach were praised for their brilliant idea and execution.
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