Hailed for her “sparkling top notes and vocal brilliance, lightness and finesse” (Neue Musikzeitung) and “remarkable intelligence of vocalization as well as of legato” (Opera Forum), Canadian soprano Claire de Sévigné is enjoying an exciting and diverse career. Named one of CBC’s Top Young Canadian Classical Musicians, Ms. de Sévigné was recently nominated for a Classical Album of the Year JUNO award for her Naxos album of Vivaldi Cantatas with Kevin Mallon and the Aradia Ensemble.
In the 2022-23 season, Ms. De Sévigné sings the roles of Henriette L’Éclair at Grand Théâtre de Genève; First Lady The Magic Flute with Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier; and Nachtigall Die Vögel with Pacific Opera Victoria. In concert, she performs the role of Cunegonde Candide at the Lausitz Festival with the Symphoniker Hamburg and Barber’s Knoxville: Summer 1915 with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra and Bradley Thachuk.
Recent engagements include Solveig Peer Gynt at Ópera National de Lyon; Adele Die Fledermaus at Anger Nantes Opéra and Opéra d’Avignon; La Feé Cendrillon at Lucerne Opera House; and Cunegonde Candide at Grand Théâtre de Genève.
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In the 2019-20 season, Ms. de Sévigné was a member of the core Ensemble with the Grand Théâtre de Genève where she sang the roles of Phani Les Indes Galantes, Blonde Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Sacerdotessa Aida, Clorinda La Cenerentola, and L’Ange Saint François d’Assise. Other operatic engagements have included the role of Venus Le Grand Macabre with the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Blonde Die Entführung aus dem Serail with the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland, Opernhaus Zürich and the Canadian Opera Company, and Fiakermilli Arabella also with Opernhaus Zürich and the Canadian Opera Company.
Appearances on the concert platform have included Mozart concerts with the Salzburg Festival, a tour of China with the Salzburg Young Singers Project in collaboration with Hantang International Music Festival, Mozart’s Kronöngsmesse and Exsultate, jubilate with the Mozarteum Orchestra in Spain, Handel’s Messiah and a Coloratura Spectacular with the Edmonton Symphony, Carmina Burana with the Grant Park Music Festival of Chicago, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor for the Elora Festival of Canada, Handel’s Messiah with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and concerts for Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and Opéra de Québec. She also joined the Concertgebouw Orchestra, singing the role of La Vierge in Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher in Amsterdam. Regrettably her appearance with Maestro Kent Nagano in his final performance with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra was cancelled due to the global pandemic.
From 2015 to 2017, Ms. de Sévigné was engaged by Opernhaus Zürich, performing the roles of Hermione in a new production of Trojahn’s Orest; Feu, Princesse and Rossignol in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges; as well as the role of Angelica in Haydn’s Orlando Paladino. As a member of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble, her roles on the main stage included Despina Così fan tutte, First Niece Peter Grimes and Servilia La clemenza di Tito.
Ms. de Sévigné has been awarded accolades by the Operalia Competition, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Standard Life Competition, the Montreal International Competition, Vancouver Opera Guild, the Christina and Louis Quilico Competition, the Marcello Giordani Foundation International Vocal Competition and the Annual COC Ensemble Studio Competition.
The Montreal native is also proud to be supported by the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation, SSHRC Bombardier Master’s Research Grant, the Canadian Opera Volunteer Committee as well as the Leanara Foundation in Zürich. Ms. de Sévigné is a graduate of the Zürich International Opera Studio, Salzburg Young Singers Project and the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble.
