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The
American countertenor Lawrence Zazzo is one of the most outstanding
singers of his generation. A native of Philadelphia, and 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.
In the space of a few short years, he 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, 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 (Bayerische Staatsoper), 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 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 Eotvos’
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 René 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 Rene 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 in Gdansk, and SAUL in Berlin
and Lisbon with Rene Jacobs and Concerto Koeln. 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 role of GIULIO CESARE at
La Monnaie, the Netherlands Opera and Bilbao, Oberon A MIDSUMMER
NIGHT’S DREAM in Lyon and Toronto, and Endimione
LA CALISTO at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
and in Munich. With Rene Jacobs he will appear in concerts of GIULIO
CESARE and Caldara’s MADDALENA AI PIEDI DI
CRISTO in Paris. He will tour the title role in EZIO
with the Kammerorchester Basel and will debut at the Theater an
der Wien in L’INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA
His many 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. Future recordings include RICCARDO PRIMO
and a CD of Handel Duets for Sony BMG.
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Lawrence's Biography |
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