 | Clare McCaldinAs well as her accomplished stage work, Clare McCaldin is a sought-after recitalist and oratorio soloist, and an established performer of traditional and contemporary repertoire.
Recent operatic roles include Örzse in Kodaly’s Háry János with the Ryedale Festival Opera [cond. Justin Doyle] and Mrs Coaxer in Britten’s version of The Beggar’s Opera [cond. Christian Curnyn] for the Royal Opera Covent Garden. Other roles for the Royal Opera include Cousin (Madama Butterfly) and Glasha (Kat’a Kabanova) and elsewhere Clare has performed Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus, Siebel in Faust, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, Oreste in ‘La Belle Helene’ with Jose Carreras as guest artist [Diva Opera], Véronique in Le Docteur Miracle, Flora in La Traviata [Longborough Festival Opera], and Mrs Peacham in The Threepenny Opera [Wexford Festival Opera].
Among her broader repertoire are various movement-based projects: Willian Tuckett’s The Wind in the Willows and Pinocchio at the Linbury Royal Opera House; Wayne McGregor’s Dido & Aeneas for the Royal Opera /Royal Ballet; Sea of Souls, with Ron Howell and composer Yuko Katori; and the Silver Swan with the Clod Ensemble.
In the contemporary repertoire Clare’s recent roles include the Stardust Person in Stephen McNeff’s The Gentle Giant (ROH2, Royal Opera Covent Garden), the Mezzo Actor in Judith Weir’s A Night at the Chinese Opera for Scottish Opera, and premieres of works by Jonathan Mills, Jean-Philippe Calvin and Graham Coatman. In contemporary concert repertoire she has performed with Esa-Pekka Salonen and Diego Masson in works by Berio and Birtwistle, and at the BBC Proms.
In 2008 she premiered Stephen McNeff’s Farfalle di Neve in recital at the Royal Opera House, and in concert there this year she will give the first performance of his Madrigali d’Estate, commissioned for her. As a resident artist at the 2010 Presteigne Festival she will be premiering other works written for her by Stephen McNeff, Hugh Wood and Alexander L’Estrange, as well as existing works for voice and chamber ensemble by Nicholas Maw, and will give a solo recital with pianist Simon Lepper.
Among her other appearances this year are recitals throughout the UK with pianist Paul Turner, and concerts with the Southbank Sinfonia, the LePage Ensemble, Paris-based baroque ensemble La Réjouissance and a recital with the Vienna Piano Trio for the Haydn bi-centenary in Vienna. |
The performances and moves were thoughtfully and well directed and the setting was used beautifully. In particular, I genuinely feel that Mr Rolls is knocking on the door of "world class" and my favourite moment? - I would say any of the wonderfully lyrical items he gave to us last night.
Robert Howe
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