Lawrence Zazzo

Lawrence Zazzo

Lawrence Zazzo (born December 15, 1970 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) is an American opera singer ( countertenor ). In addition to baroque parts, his repertoire also includes numerous works from the 20th century. He lives in England .

Life

In his childhood, Lawrence Zazzo took part in school theaters and choirs (including the Philadelphia Boy's Choir) and also appeared as the magician “The Great Zazzini” for smaller children from the neighborhood. After his voice broke, he noticed that he had kept his alto voice in falsetto and began to work with it. He has sung in numerous high school, barbershop and a cappella audiences. This laid the foundation for his decision to study English literature and music at Yale University (1989–1993) and at King's College (Cambridge) , England (1993–1995). He was actually aiming for a career as a conductor, concert singer or an academic career. While he was studying singing at the Royal College of Music in London (1995-1997), he made his debut as Oberon in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream . In the same year he sang the title role in Handel's Arminio at the London Handel Festival. This was the beginning of his operatic career, which then developed quickly.

In addition to his artistic activity, Zazzo worked on his doctoral thesis on Handel's oratorios. He holds a PhD from Queen's University in Belfast and a PhD in Philosophy in Musicology in December 2015.

Operas and concerts

Lawrence Zazzo has worked with many conductors in various opera houses and concert halls, including René Jacobs , William Christie , Nikolaus Harnoncourt , Ivor Bolton , Christopher Hogwood , Trevor Pinnock , Christophe Rousset , Harry Bicket, Emmanuelle Haïm , Harry Christophers, Paul Goodwin, Péter Eötvös , Rinaldo Alessandrini , Hervé Niquet , Jean-Claude Malgoire , Jordi Savall , James Conlon , Peter Dijkstra and Leonardo García Alarcón .

His most important operatic roles include Giulio Cesare in Giulio Cesare ( Metropolitan Opera New York, La Monnaie Brussels, Netherlands Opera Amsterdam, Opéra National de Paris , English National Opera London, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Semperoper Dresden), Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice ( Oslo Opera House , Canadian Opera Company Toronto, Reisopera Netherlands), Radamisto in Radamisto (English National Opera London) and Gualtiero in Griselda (Scarlatti) ( Staatsoper Berlin ). He sang the title roles in Sosarme ( Teatro Nacional de São Carlos ), in Alessandro (Karlsruhe), in Orlando (Cardiff, Bristol, London) and in Solomon ( Royal Opera House , London).

He embodied the Ottone in Agrippina (La Monnaie Brussels, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées Paris, Frankfurt), the Ottone in L'incoronazione di Poppea (Bavarian and Berlin State Opera, Theater an der Wien , La Monnaie Brussels), and Goffredo in Rinaldo (Berlin State Opera, Opéra National de Montpellier , Zurich Opera House ), the Farnace in Mitridate ( Bavarian State Opera Munich ) and the role of Ruggerio in Orlando furioso ( Frankfurt Opera ). He sang Cardenio in Francesco Bartolomeo Conti's Don Chisciotte in Sierra Morena (Theater an der Wien). He took on the alto part in the semi-opera The Fairy Queen by Henry Purcell ( Berlin Philharmonic ) and the role of Arsace in Partenope (Théâtre des Champs-Élysées Paris, Ferrol, Amsterdam, Pamplona, Philharmonie Essen and Madrid). In the German premiere of Francesco Cavalli's Veremonda he sang the Delio ( Rokokotheater Schwetzingen , Staatstheater Mainz ). He sang Arsamene in Handel's Serse (Oper Frankfurt, Beaune), the role of Unulfo in Rodelinda at the Teatro Real in Madrid and the role of Bertarido in Rodelinda at the Opéra National de Lyon .

His repertoire includes numerous oratorios such as Handel's Messiah ( Shanghai Opera , Notre Dame Paris , Wiener Konzerthaus , Winchester Cathedral , Herkulessaal ), Semele ( Cologne Philharmonic , Concertgebouw Amsterdam , Concertzaal Gent), Theodora (Chan Center for the Performing Arts Vancouver, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Theater an der Wien), Jephtha ( Stefaniensaal Graz), Acis and Galatea (Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Theater an der Wien), Samson (Beaune, Namur) and Saul (Beaune, Namur) as well as Johann Sebastian Bachs St. Matthew Passion (Harris Theater Chicago, Ambronay , De Deolen Rotterdam ) and St. John Passion (Chicago, Cologne Philharmonic, Leeds).

He also sang various roles in contemporary works. Among others, Oberon in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream ( Opéra National de Lyon , Canadian Opera Company Toronto, Teatro all 'Opera di Roma, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence , Poly Theater Peking , Hamburgische Staatsoper ), Trinculo in Thomas Adès ' The Tempest ( Royal Opera House Covent Garden ), Refugee in Jonathan Doves Flight ( Glyndebourne Festival ) and Mascha in Péter Eötvös ' Drei Schwestern (Opéra National de Lyon, La Monnaie Brussels, Theater an der Wien). He sang the role of Odysseus in the world premiere of The Sirens - Pictures of Desire and Destruction by Rolf Riehm alongside Michael Mendl ( Frankfurt Opera ). He also sang the world premiere of Rolf Riehm's Die Tode des Orpheus in Saarbrücken and the premiere of Geoff Page's cantata Paradise Lost based on John Milton's Paradise Lost .

Discography

• 1995: Celebration of the Spirit , with Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms , CD (Columns Classics) and DVD (Brilliant Classics)
• 1995: Gloria (Brilliant Classics)
• 1996: Arianna , live recording (NMC Records)
• 1996: Stabat Mater , CD (Brilliant Classics) and DVD (United Classics)
• 2001: Deborah , live recording (Naxos)
• 2003: Griselda ( Harmonia Mundi )
• 2003: Rinaldo (Harmonia Mundi)
• 2004: Lotario (highlights), live recording (Oehms Classics)
• 2004: Serse (Virgin Classics)
• 2005: Partenope (Chandos Records)
• 2005: Saul (Harmonia Mundi)
• 2006: Messiah (Harmonia Mundi)
• 2007: Byrdland , with the Paragon Saxophone Quartet (Landor)
• 2007: Fernando (Virgin Classics)
• 2008: Duetti amorosi with Nuria Rial (Harmonia Mundi)
• 2008: Riccardo Primo (Harmonia Mundi)
• 2010: Athalia (Harmonia Mundi)
• 2011: Lunarcy with Shizuku Noiri (lute) (Evil Penguin Records)
• 2012: Alessandro , live recording (Pan Classics)
• 2012: Apollo et Hyacinthus (Linn Records)
• 2012: Giulio Cesare , live DVD (Virgin Classics)
• 2012: Mozart In-Between (Sony Classical Records)
• 2014: Mitridate, re di Ponto (Signum Records)
• 2014: A Royal Trio (Harmonia Mundi USA)
• 2014: Messiah (BR-Klassik)
• 2018: Xerxes , Live-blu-ray (UNITEL)
• 2019: The Orchestral Music of Jonathan Dove (Orchid Classics)
• 2019: Gender Stories (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi)
• 2019: Handel uncaged (Inventa Records)
• 2020: Samson , live recording (Ricercar)

Web links

• Lawrence Zazzo at Operabase (engagements and dates)
• Lawrence Zazzo homepage
• Lawrence Zazzo agency profile

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Queen's University of Belfast graduations list - December 10, 2015. Belfast Telegraph, December 10, 2015 , accessed February 26, 2016.