Claycomb was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, but grew up in Dallas, where she excelled in church and school choir, winning numerous youth competitions, such as the National Association of Teachers of Singing,[1] U.I.L., and Texas All-State Choir.[2] A graduate of Highland Park High School,[3] Claycomb won a full scholarship to Southern Methodist University,[4] where she studied voice with Barbara Hill Moore, and completed two bachelor's degrees in vocal performance and foreign languages.[5] She studied with the late Norma Newton from 1994 until Newton's death in 2008.
Her Lucia di Lammermoor at the Houston Grand Opera "literally catapulted the opening night audience to its feet with her creativity and versatility." (Don Moser, Houston Voice).[citation needed]
She got her start at San Francisco Opera where she held an Adler Fellowship, singing roles such as Xenia in Boris Godunov, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Duchesse Medina-Sidonia in Milhaud's Christoph Colombe, Marie in La fille du régiment and Fiakermilli in Arabella. Her role-debut of Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos was the vehicle of her return to San Francisco Opera in 2002. She reprised the role at the Richard-Strauss-Festspiele in Garmisch with Ulf Schirmer, Los Angeles Opera, Houston Grand Opera[12] and at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2013.[13]
Claycomb also has a close relationship with Baroque conductor Emmanuelle Haïm, and performed a varied French and Italian Baroque repertoire with Haïm on tour in the United States (St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and New World Symphony) and with her group Le Concert d'Astrée at the Aldeburgh Festival, in Paris, on tour in France, on BBC radio. The soprano performed excerpts with countertenor David Daniels at the 2007 Cortona Festival in Italy with Haïm and le Concert d'Astrée. Her first recording collaboration with Haïm is Händel's Arcadian duets on Virgin Veritas/EMI. In December 2011, she celebrated the orchestra's 10-year anniversary in a Gala at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, rebroadcast by France Musique.[15]
In London's Royal Albert Hall, she sang a Mozart program including Der Schauspieldirektor with Iván Fischer and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, which was also broadcast on BBC Radio. On another all-Mozart program in Switzerland, Claycomb was the feature, singing a program of 6 concert arias with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and conductor Jonathan Darlington. She appeared as Madame Silberklang in Der Schauspieldirektor with the Munich Radio Orchestra and Sebastian Weigle, and another Mozart concert with Ulf Schirmer. Claycomb also performed Beethoven's rarely heard oratorio Christus am Ölberg with the Flemish Opera Orchestra and Ivan Törz, as well as with Pinchas Steinberg and the Orchestra of Santa Cecilia. in Rome.[22]
With an avid interest in recital repertoire, chamber music, and neglected composers, she combines this music into her recital schedule with pianists Roger Vignoles, Peter Grunberg, Keith Weber and Iain Burnside. In past years, Claycomb reprised Messiaen's Chants de terre et de ciel with Grunberg on "Cal Performances" to rave reviews, as well performing three world-premieres at One World Theater in Austin on a chamber concert with Nina Kotova, José Feghali, and Ron Neal. Her recitals have taken her from San Francisco to Chicago, San Antonio, San Marcos, Austin, Houston, Georgetown (TX), Brussels, Bruges (Concertgebouw), Santiago de Compostela (Spain), the Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona, Italy and a BBC Voices recital on English radio.[23]
Awards
Claycomb was the recipient of the 2011 Maria Callas Debut Artist Award for her performances as Gilda in Dallas Opera's production of Rigoletto,[24] the 2000 Pegasus Prize at the Spoleto Festival in Italy, and 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award for Highland Park High School,[25] among many prizes. She makes her home in Italy.[26]
Recordings and videos
Ligeti: Le Grand Macabre / Salonen, Philharmonia Orchestra, Willard White, Graham Clark, Sybille Ehlert, Jard van Nes, Frode Olsen, Charlotte Hellekant, Steven Cole, Derek Lee Ragin. Sony B00000ICMU CD, 1999
Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love / Richard Hickox / Anne-Marie Owens, Sarah Connolly, Northern Sinfonia and Chorus, Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Donald Maxwell, Roderick Williams, Susan Gritton, Matthew Best, Mark Padmore, Stephen Varcoe, Stephan Loges, John Bowen, Richard Lloyd-Morgan, Laura Claycomb, Henry Moss, Mark Richardson Chandos, B00005M0ER, CD/MP3, 2001
Mahler: Symphony No. 4 / Tilson Thomas, Claycomb, San Francisco SO/DELOS SACD Hybrid, 2002
Il Salotto Vol 6 – La Partenza / Laura Claycomb, Bruce Ford, Manuela Custer, Roberto Servile, Dominic Natoli, Nicola Rossi Giordano, Dean Robinson, Brindley Sherratt / Opera Rara ORR227 CD, 2004
Il Salotto Vol 7 – Primo Dolce Affano / Bruce Ford, Elizabeth Vidal, Laura Claycomb, Manuela Custer, William Matteuzzi, Roberto Servile, Alastair Miles, piano – David Harper / Opera Rara ORR230 CD, 2005
Vocal Teamwork / Annick Massis, Bruce Ford, Majella Cullagh, Alastair Miles, Jennifer Larmore, Mirco Palazzi, Laura Claycomb, Peter Glossop, Della Jones, Alexander Oliver, Yvonne Kenny, Rockwell Blake, Daniela Barcellona, William Matteuzzi, Jane Eaglen, Christian du Plessis, Deborah Cook. London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra – conductors David Parry, James Judd, Giuliano Carella / Opera Rara ORR233 CD, 2005
Meyerbeer: L'esule di Granata (Highlights) / Manuela Custer, Laura Claycomb, Mirco Palazzi, Paul Austin Kelly, Brindley Sherratt, Ashley Catling. Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Giuliano Carella – conductor / Opera Rara ORR234 CD, 2006
Entre Nous: Celebrating Offenbach / Jennifer Larmore, Alastair Miles, Yvonne Kenny, Mark Stone, Diana Montague, Laura Claycomb, Elizabeth Vidal, Colin Lee, Loïc Félix, Mark Wilde, Cassandre Berthon, Mark le Brocq, Alexandra Sherman, Andre Cognet. London Philharmonic Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, David Parry – conductor / Opera Rara ORR243 CD, 2007
Pacini: Alessandro nelle Indie / Bruce Ford, Jennifer Larmore, Laura Claycomb, Mark Wilde, Dean Robinson. London Philharmonic Orchestra, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, David Parry – conductor/ Opera Rara ORC35 CD, 2008
Ambroise Thomas: La cour de Célimène / Laura Claycomb, Joan Rodgers, Alastair Miles, Sébastien Droy, Nicole Tibbels. Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, Andrew Litton – conductor/ Opera Rara ORC37 CD, 2008
Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress / Laura Claycomb, Andrew Kennedy, William Shimell, Julianne Young, Dagmar Pecková / Robert LePage, Théâtre de la Monnaie, Kazushi Ono / "BBC/OPUS ARTE" B00118DQY2 DVD, 2008
Fabrizio Cassol/Bach: Pitié! / AKA MOON, Laura Claycomb, Melissa Givens, Cristina Zavalloni, Serge Kakudji, Magic Malik, Airelle Besson, Sanne Van Hek, Tcha Limberger, Philippe Thurion, Lode Vercampt, Monica Brett-Crowther, Alexandre Cavalière / Cypress Records, CD, 2008
Carl Orff: Carmina Burana / Richard Hickox – Conductor, London Symphony Orchestra, Laura Claycomb, Barry Banks, Christopher Maltman / CHANDOS CD, 2008
Mahler: Symphony No 8 / Michael Tilson Thomas – Conductor, Erin Wall, Elza van den Heever, Laura Claycomb, Katarina Karnéus, Yvonne Naef, Anthony Dean Griffey, Quinn Kelsey, James Morris, San Francisco Symphony Chorus, San Francisco Girls Chorus, Pacific Boychoir, San Francisco Symphony / San Francisco Symphony Label, SACD, 2008
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