Pablo Torre Finds Out The Fandom of the Opera: A Linebacker, a White Whale... and a Secret
Apr 14, 2026
Brandon Jovanovich, an American operatic tenor who rose from cater waiter to leading roles at the Met, shares vivid stories. He talks technique and performing unamplified, the sports-like grit behind opera, his path from college linebacker to La Scala, and secretly singing Captain Ahab while undergoing treatment for stage four prostate cancer.
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From Cater Waiter To Met Opera Stage
- Brandon Jovanovich moved from Billings, Montana and worked as a cater waiter at Met Opera opening night galas before becoming a Met performer.
- He spilled salmon juice on a $10,000-a-table guest early on and later returned to star on that same Met stage.
Live Demonstration Of Unamplified Opera Power
- Jovanovich demonstrated a live Wagner excerpt in-studio to show operatic projection without a microphone.
- He emphasized opera uses full-body resonance and breath support to ride over orchestras without amplification.
Choir Scholarship Switched A Football Path
- Jovanovich combined football and singing paths: earned a choir scholarship at Northern Arizona after playing one year of college football.
- The music department required him to perform in musicals and operas to keep the scholarship, which pushed him into full-time singing.