Lauren Michelle, soprano, is honored to be a prize winner of The BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. Originally from Los Angeles, some of her notable international roles include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Musetta in La Bohème, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi.
Most recently, she made her debut at Covent Garden as Jessica in The Merchant of Venice and completed a season as a house soprano with Vienna State Opera. She sang in concert under the baton of Plácido Domingo at LA Opera and made her debut with Washington National Opera to critical acclaim along side Eric Owens. She was awarded First Place in both the Lotte Lenya Competition and the Marcello Giordani International Vocal Competition.
This season Ms. Michelle has been invited to sing with the Berlin Philharmonic by Maestro Zubin Mehta, where they will perform Rossini. She will also make her debut with The Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, rejoining Nina Stemme to perform Elektra, conducted by Mikko Frank. In France and Germany, she will tour staged versions of Pierrot Lunaire and The Seven Deadly Sins, directed by David Pountney. She is happy to return to Welsh National Opera to sing the role of Natasha in War and Peace as well as reprise her role of Susanna in the Marriage of Figaro debuting with Palm Beach Opera. She is a graduate of UCLA and The Juilliard School.
Friday, Feburary 12 - 20, 2016
7:30pm
Friday, Feburary 12 - 20, 2016
7:30pm
From Feb 12 - 20, 2016, Lauren Michelle made her USA debut to critical acclaim with Washington National Opera as Irina in Kurt Weill's Lost in the Stars starring Eric Owens.
Lauren Michelle as Irina. (Photo: Karli Cadel)
REVIEWS
“When soprano Lauren Michelle, in the guise of the hapless, pregnant Irina, begins the opening verse of ‘Trouble Man’, the otherwise stentorian rhythms of Lost in the Stars suddenly take on a becoming urgency.... Michelle manages to evoke all the gentle and heavier sorrows of this 1949 musical drama, set in a racially torn South Africa that contains echoes of the United States’ own history of racial turmoil.” – Peter Marks, Washington Post
“[S]oprano Lauren Michelle offers exquisite vocalism as Absalom's pregnant girlfriend Irina; her account of ‘Stay Well’ is a peak of lyricism in the production.” – Tim Smith, Baltimore Sun
“A great standout performance must be credited to Lauren Michelle, who plays Irina, Absalom’s pregnant girlfriend. Her character gets the most operatically written ‘arias,’ and Michelle’s singing of ‘Trouble Man’ and the exquisite love song in the second act, ‘Stay Well,’ reveals a singer of pure radiance. Her acting abilities, portraying the young woman’s vulnerability and deference to her future father-in-law in her first scene then building both in power and heartbreak as she is torn forever from making a life with Absalom and their child, moved me very deeply.” – Susan Galbraith, DCTheatreScene.com
“Irina’s two numbers are handled beautifully by soprano Lauren Michelle, who manages to find an appropriate straighter Broadway style without sacrificing an imposing sound.” – Alex Baker, Parterre.com
“Soprano Lauren Michelle shines brightly in her portrayal of a heavily burdened Irina. Her soft but penetrating voice singlehandedly carries the full emotional heft of this story to the very back row, especially in ‘Trouble Man’ and ‘Stay Well’.” – Derek Schwabe, MDTheatreGuide.com
“[Lauren Michelle’s] voice is pure as a bell in ‘Trouble Man’ and ‘Stay Well’ and her acting…is as tender as the flower she resembles.” – Ravelle Brickman, DCMetroTheatreArts.com
On May 6 and 7, 2015, The Collegiate Chorale presents the US premiere of The Road of Promise, a new concert adaptation of Kurt Weill and Franz Werfel’s 1937 stage spectacle, The Eternal Road. In a mix of opera and musical theater, biblical tales come to life as a 13-year-old boy discovers the significance of his heritage and the power of community in the face of adversity. The performance features video projections by Wendall Harrington and lighting design by Frances Aronson. Ted Sperling conducts and directs.
For tickets, visit Carnegie Hall.
"For stage presence and sheer style, the American soprano Lauren Michelle could not be faulted"
The Guardian