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The
American countertenor Lawrence Zazzo is one of the most outstanding
singers of his generation. A native of Philadelphia, and a graduate
in both Music and English from Yale and King’s College Cambridge,
Lawrence made his operatic debut as Oberon A MIDSUMMER
NIGHT’S DREAM to great acclaim while completing
his vocal studies at the Royal College of Music, London.
Lawrence has appeared
in many of the world’s finest opera houses and concert halls.
His opera roles include the title role in GIULIO CESARE (Metropolitan
Opera New York, Brussels, Amsterdam, Glyndebourne), the title role in Gluck’s ORFEO (Netherlands),
Gualtiero in Scarlatti’s GRISELDA (Berlin
Staatsoper, Innsbruck Festival); Goffredo RINALDO
(Berlin Staatsoper, Innsbruck Festival, Opéra de Montpellier);
Ottone AGRIPPINA (La Monnaie, Frankfurt, Theatre
de Champs-Elysees, Wiesbaden), Giuliano in Cavalli’s ELIOGABALO (Brussels, Paris), Ottone L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA
(Berlin Staatsoper, La Monnaie, Bayerische Staatsoper); Endimione
LA CALISTO (Covent Garden, Bayerische Staatsoper Munich), Arsamene SERSE
(Theatre des Champs-Elysees, English National Opera), and the title
role in Handel’s SOSARME (Sao Carlos, Lisbon).
Lawrence is also closely associated with 20th century and contemporary music. His Paris Opera debut was as Kreon
in Liebermann’s MEDEA. He created the role
of Trinculo in Thomas Ades’ THE TEMPEST at
the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and he has sung Sciarrano’s
LUCI MIE TRADITRICI in Brussels and New York. He
is closely associated with the role of Mascha in Peter Eotvös’
THREE SISTERS which he has performed with the Opera
de Lyon, La Monnaie, Hamburg Opera, Edinburgh Festival, Vienna Festival,
and in the Netherlands. He made his BBC Symphony Orchestra debut
in their commission of Jonathan Dove’s HOJOKI,
and sang the Refugee in Dove’s FLIGHT for
Glyndebourne.
Lawrence
works with many distinguished conductors in the fields of Baroque
and contemporary music, including Renè Jacobs, James Conlon,
Ivor Bolton, Peter Eotvos, William Christie, Harry Bickett, Jean-Claude
Malgoire, Joshua Rifkin, Trevor Pinnock , John Nelson, Jordi Savall,
Harry Christophers, and Paul Goodwin. He was the
first western countertenor invited to China, where he sang MESSIAH
at the Shanghai Opera. His international concert career highlights
include: MESSIAH in Notre Dame Cathedral with L’ensemble
orchestrale de Paris and in a European tour with Renè Jacobs and
the Freiburger Barockorchester, Bach Lutheran Masses
under Joshua Rifkin in Leipzig, St. Matthew Passion
in Ambronay and Kothen with the Akademie fuer Alte Musik , the title
role in Mozart’s ASCANIO IN ALBA with the
Berliner Symphoniker, Vivaldi’s Nisi Dominus
and Gloria with the Israel Camerata, Bach
B Minor Mass with the Salzburg Mozarteum, and SAUL in Berlin
and Lisbon with Renè Jacobs and Concerto Köln. His Canadian debut
was as Didymus in THEODORA in Ottawa under Trevor
Pinnock and he sang the title roles of Handel’s LOTARIO
and RICCARDO PRIMO with
the Kammerorchester Basel in a European tour with Paul Goodwin.
He most recently worked with Christopher Hogwood singing the title
role of Handel’s AMADIGI in London and Birmingham,
and made his debut at the Salle Pleyel with Jordi Savall in a concert
version of Vivaldi’s FARNACE. An accomplished
recitalist, he has given many around Europe, most recently at the
Festival de Beaune and the Vienna Konzerthaus.
Major
future plans include the title of role in GIULIO CESARE in Bilbao and Sevilla, Endimione in LA CALISTO with Renè Jacobs in Brussels, Oberon in A MIDSUMMER
NIGHT’S DREAM in Toronto, a debut at the Theater an
der Wien in L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA, and the title role in RADAMISTO in London.
His recordings include BYRDLAND (Landor Records), RINALDO, MESSIAH,
GRISELDA and SAUL (Harmonia Mundi),
SERSE and FERNANDO ( Virgin
Classics), RICCARDO PRIMO and DUETTI AMOROSI (with Nuria Rial) for Sony BMG, PARTENOPE ( Chandos), DEBORAH
(Naxos), and Britten’s REJOICE IN THE LAMB
and Pergolesi’s STABAT MATER for Columns
Classics.
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Lawrence's Biography |
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