Claire Rutter scored a huge critical success with her performances of La Gioconda for Opera North, in which she was compared to the great diva, Maria Callas.
She was hailed as a "Violetta to die for" in the British national press, and her success in La Traviata was followed by highly acclaimed performances of Gilda in Rigoletto, which served to strengthen further her position as one of Britain’s foremost spinto/dramatic sopranos.
Born in South Shields, County Durham, Claire studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and at the National Opera Studio sponsored by The Friends of English National Opera. She now works with Gerald Martin Moore.
Her recordings include highlights from La Bohème and Madama Butterfly with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Holst's The Mystic Trumpeter with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (for which she was nominated for two Classical Brit Awards), plus several other CD’s for Naxos including Carmina Burana (Marin Alsop/BSO), and Howell’s Hymnus Paradisi (David Hill/BSO). She regularly broadcasts both staged opera and opera gala concerts on BBC Radio. She has recorded a selection of Puccini arias with the London Symphony Orchestra, and sang Phyllis in Iolanthe in a televised performance from the BBC Proms. October 2003 saw the release of Claire's Christmas Album recorded with the Hallé Orchestra, conducted by Carl Davis.
Claire was nominated for the Maria Callas Award following her U.S. début as Fiordiligi (Cosi fan Tutte) for Dallas Opera. She has also sung Amelia (Un Ballo in Maschera) for Florida Grand Opera; Tosca, Elvira (Ernani) and Amelia for English National Opera, Violetta (La Traviata) Den Norske Opera, Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) Opéra de Montpellier, Bordeaux Opera, De Vlaamse Opera, and English National Opera, the title rôle in Verdi's Giovanna d’Arco at the Ludwigshafen Festival with Opera North, Countess (Nozze di Figaro) Bordeaux Opera, Miss Jessel (Turn of the Screw) Oviedo Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Mimi in La Bohème in the Beijing International Festival. During three years as a principal with Scottish Opera, her rôles included Maddalena (Andrea Chénier), Violetta (La Traviata), Fiordiligi, Gilda (Rigoletto), Countess (Nozze di Figaro), Elettra (Idomeneo), and Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus). She has also sung Violetta and Gilda for both English National Opera and Welsh National Opera.
Claire's concert performances have included Strauss's Vier Letzte Lieder (replacing Dame Margaret Price with great success at short notice), Mahler Symphonies No.s 8 and 4, Verdi Requiem, Rossini Stabat Mater & Petite Messe Solennelle, A Sea Symphony, Beethoven Symphony No.9, Carmina Burana, A Child of Our Time, Songs of the Auvergne, Elijah, The Apostles, The Kingdom and Brahms's Requiem, at all of Britain's major concert halls with orchestras such as the LSO, the Royal Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Scottish, Hallé, Royal Scottish National, the Philharmonia, The Ulster Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, CBSO, English Chamber and Scottish Chamber orchestras.
Recent engagements have included a concert of Verdi arias with the CBSO, Beethoven's 9th Symphony at the Wales Millennium Centre with Bryn Terfel, a programme of Mahler and Strauss with The Ulster Orchestra and BBC Radio 3, The Apostles CBSO/Oramo, Abigaille (Nabucco) for Opera North, and Donna Anna for Opéra National du Rhin, Strasbourg, Bordeaux Opera and De Vlaamse Opera.
Future work includes Alice Ford (Falstaff) in Santa Fe, title role in Bellini’s Norma in a new production at Grange Park, and a return to English National Opera in the title role of Aida following the enormous critical success of her role debut there last season.
Claire Rutter is represented by Intermusica.
June 2008/ 581 words. Not to be altered without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.