Artist Of The Week: Layla Claire Makes Her Long Anticipated Debut As ‘Alcina’

By Francisco Salazar

Layla Claire has become one of the most promising lyric sopranos of her generation. Throughout the past years, she has specialized in the works of Mozart and Handel as well as Britten. And this week she will add yet another major role to her repertory, “Alcina.”

After canceling her highly anticipated debut in the role earlier this year at the Bolshoi Theatre, Claire will sing it at the Händel-Festspiele Karlsruhe, one of the most prestigious festivals where Handel’s music is performed.

The Canadian soprano has established herself singing in all the major theaters including the Metropolitan Opera where she made her debut while she was  a member of the Lindemann Young Artist Development program in “Don Carlo” and would later perform with the company in the Baroque pastiche “The Enchanted Island” and “The Rake’s Progress.” Since then she has been seen at the Glyndebourne Festival and at the Opernhaus Zürich as well as at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.

Recordings 

For those not familiar with the soprano’s voice, Claire recently released her first solo album entitled “Songbird” for ATMA Classique/Naxos. She can also be heard in Handel’s “Arminio” for Decca Classics and “The Enchanted Island” from the Metropolitan Opera.

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