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.

The American countertenor Lawrence Zazzo is one of the most outstanding singers of his generation. A native of Philadelphia and a graduate in both English and Music from Yale University 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.

He has since 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, Paris, Brussels, Seville, Bilbao), the title role in Gluck’s Orfeo (Toronto, Netherlands), Oberon A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lyon, Toronto), Farnace Mitridate (Munich), Festival), the title role in Radamisto (English National Opera), Arsamene Serse (Theatre des Champs-Elysees, English National Opera), Goffredo Rinaldo (Berlin Staatsoper, Opéra de Montpellier); Ottone Agrippina (Brussels, Frankfurt, Theatre de Champs-Elysees), Endimione La Calisto (Munich, Brussels, Paris), Giuliano in Cavalli’s Eliogabalo (Brussels, Paris), Ottone L’incoronazione di Poppea (Berlin, Brussels, Munich, Vienna), and the title role in Handel’s Sosarme (Sao Carlos, Lisbon).

Lawrence is also a keen advocate of 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 has sung Sciarrino’s Luci mie traditrici in Brussels, New York, and Rouen. He is closely associated with the role of Mascha in Peter Eötvos’ Three Sisters which he has performed in several productions in Lyon, Brussels, Edinburgh, Vienna, and the Netherlands. He made his BBC Symphony Orchestra debut in their commission of Jonathan Dove’s Hojoki, sang the Refugee in Dove’s Flight for the Glyndebourne Festival, and made his Wigmore recital debut with a programme of 20th-century American songs.

Lawrence has a working relationship with many distinguished conductors in the fields of Baroque and contemporary music, including René Jacobs, William Christie, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Christophe Rousset, John Nelson, Ivor Bolton, James Conlon, Harry Bicket , Joshua Rifkin, Christopher Hogwood, Peter Eötvos, Jean-Claude Malgoire, Trevor Pinnock, Jordi Savall, Harry Christophers, and Paul Goodwin. He was the first western countertenor invited to China to sing Messiah at the Shanghai Opera. His international concert career highlights include: Jephtha in Graz with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Theodora in Halle with Trevor Pinnock, the title roles of Handel’s Lotario and Riccardo Primo with the Kammerorchester Basel in a European tour and recording with Paul Goodwin, Messiah with Rene Jacobs and the Freiburger Barockorchester and in Notre Dame Cathedral with John Nelson and L’ensemble orchestrale de Paris, Bach Lutheran Masses under Joshua Rifkin in Leipzig, the St. Matthew Passion in Ambronay and Köthen with the Akademie fuer Alte Musik, the title role in Handel’s Amadigi with Christopher Hogwood and the AAM in London and Birmingham, the title role in Mozart’s Ascanio in Alba with the Berliner Symphoniker, Vivaldi’s Nisi Dominus and Gloria with the Israel Camerata, the B Minor Mass with Ivor Bolton, and Saul in Berlin and Lisbon with René Jacobs and Concerto Köln. An accomplished recitalist, he has given many around Europe, most recently at the Wigmore Hall, the Rheinvokal Festival, the MA Festival Bruges, the Festival d’Opera Baroque de Beaune and the Wiener Konzerthaus.

Future plans include the title role in Alessandro for the Handel Festival in Karlsruhe, Oberon in a new Paul Curranproduction for the Rome Opera with James Conlon conducting, a new production of Julius Caesar for English National Opera, a tour of B Minor Mass with Rene Jacobs, and Messiah for the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston.

His recordings include Rinaldo, Messiah, Griselda and Saul for Harmonia Mundi; Serse and Fernando for Virgin Classics, Partenope for Chandos, Deborah for Naxos, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater for Columns Classics, Riccardo Primo, Athalia, and Duetti Amorosi for Sony BMG, as well as Byrdland, the music of William Byrd and Dowland with the Paragon Saxophone Quartet, for Landor Records. Lunarcy, a lute recital of early and contemporary mad songs with lutenist Shizuko Noirir has just been released next year by EPR Classics.

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