As part of receiving this year’s Marian Anderson Award from the Kennedy Center, tenor Lawrence Brownlee gave a recital in the Terrace Theater Sunday afternoon. The award recognizes a young singer who has already distinguished himself as a multifaceted performer, and many reviewers, myself included, have been impressed with his strong tenor, a vocal type that is as rare in its best form as it is important, in opera particularly. Brownlee’s program on Sunday mostly showcased his many strengths, especially in Italian opera arias. This is a voice that strikes a broad swath of sound, with power and high notes, which are used with reserve and intelligence.

The audience, largely the singer’s family and friends filling two-thirds of the seats, gave its greatest acclamation for “Languir per una bella” from Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri. (He was a member of the Wolf Trap Opera program a few years ago.) In this and the other major arias, Brownlee displayed an admirable accuracy of intonation, solid breath support that ensures long phrases, stunning agility in melismatic passages, and the ability to understand the texts he sings and create appropriate characters. On the latter point, he may tread too far towards over-emoting, although that impression may vary from listener to listener. Brownlee’s comic timing was well placed in “Ah! mes amis” from Donizetti’s La fille du régiment, as he noisily swigged some water before starting (the aria has an infamous string of high C’s) and glanced at his pianist after holding a note much longer than indicated in the score. The high C’s in that aria were quite impressive, although the first two or three were a little rough before Brownlee hit his stride.