Emmanuelle Grey Rossum is an American actress, director, producer, singer, and songwriter. The accolades she has received include a Saturn Award and Critic’ Choice Movie Award, alongside nominations for a Golden Globe, an independent Spirit Award, and two Critics’ Choice Television Awards. Upon singing “Happy Birthday” in all 12 keys, Rossum was welcomed to join the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus by chorus director Elena Doria at age seven. Over the course of five years she sang onstage with the chorus and had the chance to perform with singers such as Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. For anywhere from $5 to $10 a night, Rossum sang in six languages in 20 operas, including La Boheme, Turandot, a Carnegie Hall presentation of La damnation de Faust, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She also worked under the direction of Franco Zeffirelli in Carmen.
Rossum starred in the 2004 sci-fi film The Day After Tomorrow, and received critical acclaim for her performance in the leading role of Christine Daae in the film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera (2004). After her role in The Phantom of the Opera, Rossum was offered several deals to record Classical music albums, but refused, opting to create an album of contemporary, more mainstream music. She explained it by feeling frustrated because of the lack of “emotional honesty” in music played in radios. Regarding the sound and style of her music, she said, “It’s pop music, but not Britney Spears bubblegum pop. I want it to have a David Gray or Annie Lennox feel. I’ve been spending up to 12 hours a day in the studio.” Rossum cites Sarah McLachlan, Whitney Houston, and Faith Hill as some of her influences.
Rossum’s album Inside Out was produced by Stuart Brawley. It was released in October 2007, and peaked at 199 in the U.S. Billboard charts. For the promotion of the record, Geffen Records featured the song, “Slow Me Down,” as part of the second volume of Hollywood Records’ Girl Next compilation album, which was released on July 10, 2007. Later that year, she was chosen as Yahoo’s “Who’s Next” artist of the month and a “One to Watch” by MSN. In December 2007, Rossum released three Christmas songs on the EP Carol of the Bells. It was also this year that Rossum sang the national anthem at the Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Infineon Raceway and performed at the first ever Perez Hilton Presents event at the El Rey Theatre in Hollywood. On October 27, 2007, Rossum again sang the national anthem at the New Jersey Devils’ first home game of the 2007-08 NHL season, which was also the first game the team played in the newly constructed Prudential Centre. She also performed at the Hollywood Christmas Celebration at the Grove in Los Angeles and the Lighting of the Great Tree in Atlanta, Georgia.
She joined Counting Crows, Augustana, and Michael Franti & Spearhead as a “special guest” for select performances of the “Travelling Circus and Medicine Show” tour in early 2009. In 2010, Rossum sang a song called “Cruel One” on singer Alex Band’s debut solo album We’ve All Been There. On the track she sings with Band, and Chantal Kreviazuk.
Rossum released the Warner Bros. Records album Sentimental Journey in January 2013. Unlike Inside Out on which Rossum wrote the songs herself, the album is a collection of covers of songs from the 1920s to 1960s. Sentimental Journey peaked at 92 on the U.S. Billboard charts, and number one in Jazz Albums. Rossum describes herself as a lyric soprano, while saying her voice is still developing. She continues to train vocally at Zajac Studio, a studio run by soprano Joann C. Zajac.
