LAURA CLAYCOMB
SOPRANO
BIOGRAPHY
GRAMMY® Award winning soprano Laura Claycomb has firmly established herself as one of the finest operatic coloratura sopranos of her generation, best known for her ethereal high notes, impeccable musicianship, and dramatic stage presence. Ms. Claycomb has appeared repeatedly with the Paris Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Théâtre de la Monnaie, the London Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Le Concert d’Astrée, and the Cleveland Orchestra. Further highlights of her varied career range from engagements at the Salzburg Festival and the Lucerne Festival, to the BBC Proms and the title role of Linda di Chamounix at Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
Recent engagements include Bernstein’s Kaddish with the London Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop, a program of Bach & Pergolesi with Emmannuelle Haïm and the Los Angeles Symphony, Mahler’s Fourth Symphony with the Fort Worth Symphony, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with The Dallas Opera, joining the Israel Camarata Jerusalem for their Mainly Mozart concert, the Houston Symphony for Carmina burana, and giving a series of recitals and master classes. [read more...]
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"... the powerful Laura Claycomb…” – Los Angeles Times
Bach & Pergolesi with the LA Phil – “The soloists, the powerful Laura Claycomb . . . offered arresting assessments of suffering, from Claycomb’s wails (something I’ve never heard before in this score) to Dumaux’s outbursts of anger. Rhythms crackled, and in the process, the performance became a kind of hospital drama, a call for inner strength.”
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"... Claycomb effortlessly negotiates the coloratura…” – Daily Camera
The Scarlet Letter – “Soprano Laura Claycomb exudes both passion and pride in her portrayal of Hester Prynne, an archetypal character whose punishment for adultery gives the story its title. Claycomb effortlessly negotiates the coloratura lines Laitman constructed for her and makes clear distinctions between her public and private interactions, particularly those with Hester's concealed lover, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale.”
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"... effortless..." – San Francisco Classical Voice
Strauss’ Brentano Lieder – “It is obvious that soprano Laura Claycomb has “lived” with the Brentano Lieder for some time. She sang them with MTT and the Symphony in 2005, and everything about her performance last week showed a deep awareness and understanding of both the text and the music. From the way her posture and demeanor changed with every song to the effortless way in which she blended lyricism with virtuosity, Claycomb captured and conveyed the essence of Strauss’ five Brentano Lieder."
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"... radiant..." – Opera News
Claycomb, DiDonato, and Brownlee at Carnegie Hall – “Soprano Laura Claycomb, substituting on short notice for the originally scheduled Nicole Cabell, was radiant and spirited in Giulietta’s plaintive aria “O quante volte” (with horn and harp solos). She took her portrayal to another level in an incendiary interaction with DiDonato’s Romeo throughout the varied phases of a non-Shakespearean scene from the opera’s first act, “Ah! mia Giulietta!” . . . Claycomb’s soaring range, fine-spun pianissimos and minute vocal embroidery achieved a startling blend of technical poise and expressive power.”
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"... superbly detailed portrayal..." – Opera News
Lucia di Lammermoor – “This season’s performance, generally of a high level, was distinguished by the superbly detailed portrayal of debut artist Laura Claycomb, an American soprano for whom Donizetti’s doomed heroine is something of a signature role. Gifted with a crystalline timbre, Claycomb created a characterization that ranged from an almost giddy happiness, progressing to tragic defiance, and finally descending to a heart-rending state of madness. There was a never a false step dramatically, and all of the music, particularly the upper reaches of this high-lying score, was sung with complete security.”