Introduction

“Particularly striking was mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal (Sesto), who has a beautifully expressive tone and solid technique, and was totally at ease, dramatically and musically”
Opera Canada, Renée Maheu

Biography

Mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal – the only Canadian chosen to participate in the inaugural Salzburg Festival Young Artist Project – is an alumna of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio.  The company featured her as Mercedes in CARMEN and she has also been heard with the company as Siébel in FAUST, Aljeja in Janáček’s FROM THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD and as Popova in Walton’s THE BEAR.  Other COC assignments have included the Third Lady in Mozart’s THE MAGIC FLUTE and Dritte Magd in Strauss’ ELEKTRA.  Ms. Segal has performed in Calgary Opera’s production of Allan Bell’s TURTLE WAKES as part of their Emerging Artist Program and the role of Sesto in CLEMENZA DI TITO at the Orford Arts Festival. Recent engagements have included Dorabella in COSI FAN TUTTE for Pacific Opera Victoria, Orlovsky in DIE FLEDERMAUS for Opera Hamilton, MESSIAH for the Grand Philharmonic Choir and the Bach Elgar Choir and an Opera Gala for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.  She has appeared at the Westben Festival in Schumann’s FRAUENLIEBE UND LEBEN, in recitals for FestiVoix in Trois Rivieres and the Aldeburgh Connection in Bayfield and at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in ‘Opera under the Stars’.  Her 2010-2011 season included Maddalena in RIGOLETTO for Opéra de Montréal, MESSIAH for Vancouver Bach Choir, Beethoven’s SYMPHONY NO. 9 for the Windsor Symphony, a Gala Opera Evening for Manitoba Opera and she returned to the COC for featured roles in NIXON IN CHINA, ARIADNE AUF NAXOS and DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE.

In the summer of 2011, she sang the title role in Bizet’s CARMEN for the Brott Festival as well as an Opera Gala evening.  Rosina in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA marks her return to Opera Hamilton and she looks forward to Nicklausse in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN.  2012 starts out in Bari Italy where she will cover the role of Carmen in a production conducted by Lorin Maazel.   In concert she will be heard for the Aldeburgh Connection and a gala event for Villa Charities.

Engagements in the 2008-2009 season included Sonya in Prokofiev’s WAR & PEACE and Dorabella in COSI FAN TUTTE with the Canadian Opera Company, ELIJAH for Nezet-Seguin and Orchestra Metropolitain du Grand Montreal, MESSIAH with the Victoria Symphony, Suzuki in Puccini’s MADAMA BUTTERFLY with Manitoba Opera and Opera Hamilton, and Beethoven’s SYMPHONY NO. 9 with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Past performances include Rosina in THE BARBER OF SEVILLE for Toronto Summer Music, Cherubino in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO at The Banff Centre, Agnese in Bellini’s BEATRICE DI TENDA Fenena in NABUCCO and Smeton in ANNA BOLENA with Toronto’s Opera in Concert, Hansel in HANSEL AND GRETEL in Hamilton as well as Tisbe (LA CENERENTOLA), Flora (LA TRAVIATA), Valencienne (THE MERRY WIDOW) and Erika (VANESSA).  A recipient of two Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Encouragement Awards, Ms. Segal’s concert performances include ELIJAH for the Amadeus Choir of Toronto, Bach’s Cantata BMV 147, Bruckner’s Mass in F minor and Haydn’s NELSON MESSE. Born in South Africa, Ms. Segal holds a Master’s of Science degree from the Department of Physics at the University of Toronto.

  January 2012

For further information please visit www.laurensegal.com

Full Repertoire

Opera

Adams	Nancy T'sang	NIXON IN CHINA
Barber	Erika	VANESSA
Bellini	Agnese	BEATRICE DI TENDA
Bizet	Carmen/Mercedes	CARMEN
Donizetti	Smeton	ANNA BOLENA
Dvořák	Zweite Elfe	RUSALKA
Gluck	Orfeo	ORFEO ED EURIDICE
Gounod	Siebel Stephano	FAUST ROMÉO ET JULIETTE
Humperdinck	Hänsel	HÄNSEL UND GRETEL
Janáček	Aljeja	FROM THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD
Lehár	Valencienne	THE MERRY WIDOW
Mozart	Dorabella Cherubino Sesto Dritte Dame/Zweite Dame	COSI FAN TUTTE LE NOZZE DI FIGARO LA CLEMENZA DI TITO DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE
Offenbach	Nicklaus/Muse	LES CONTES D'HOFFMAN
Puccini Prokofiev	Suzuki Sonya	MADAMA BUTTERFLY WAR AND PEACE
Romberg	Princess Margaret	THE STUDENT PRINCE
Rossini	Tisbe Rosina	LA CENERENTOLA IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA
Strauss, J.	Orlofsky	DIE FLEDERMAUS
Shostakovich	Sonyetka	LADY MACBETH OF MTSENSK
Strauss, R.	Dritte Magd Dryad/Komponist	ELEKTRA ARIADNE AUF NAXOS
Verdi	Maddalena Flora/Annina Fenena	RIGOLETTO LA TRAVIATA NABUCCO
Wagner	Wellgunde Rossweisse/Siegrune Wellgunde/Flosshilde	DAS RHEINGOLD DIE WALKÜRE GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG
Walton	Popova	THE BEAR

Concert

Bach	Cantata BMW 147 Magnificat
Beethoven	Symphony No. 9
Bruckner	Mass in F minor
De Falla	Siete Canciones Populares Españolas
Dvořák	Ciganske Melodie
Handel	Messiah
Haydn Janáček	Nelson Messe Diary of the One Who Disappeared
Mahler	Leider eines fahrenden Gesellen
Mendelssohn	Elijah
Mozart	Mass in C minor
Schumann	Frauenlieben und Leben
Vaughan Williams	Serenade to Music

Engaged By

Aldeburgh Connection (Toronto)
Amadeus Choir
Banff Centre
Canadian Opera Company
Calgary Opera
CBC Radio Two

Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Manitoba Opera
Opéra de Montréal
Opera in Concert, Toronto
Opera Hamilton
Opera in Concert (Toronto)

Opera Lyra Ottawa
Opera Hamilton
Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal
Orford Arts Centre
Pacific Opera Victoria

Salzburg Festival

Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
Toronto Operetta Theatre

Vancouver Bach Choir

Victoria Symphony
Westben Festival

Windsor Symphony

Reviews

“Lauren Segal’s burnished mezzo-soprano made her Muse/Nicklausse a pleasure throughout.” [Canadian Opera Company, Les Contes d’Hoffman, 2012]
Globe and Mail – Tamara Berstein

“Segal is absolutely sensational with a rich, fruity mezzo-soprano voice that will take her far. She has it all – she can both sing and act.”
Paul Citron, paulacitron.ca

“Especial treats are the pashmina-warm mezzo of Lauren Segal as the Muse...”
John Terauds, The Toronto Star

“The singing is first-rate, beginning with Lauren Segal’s passionate Muse/Nicklausse...”
Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine

“In contrast, mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal uses her lustrous voice and fine acting ability to convey the Muse’s frustration and despair over Hoffmann’s infatuations.”
- Christopher Hoile, stage-door.com

“Canadian mezzo Lauren Segal shone as Nicklausse, a role tailor-made for her voice and personality. Given this version that opened all the cuts, Nicklausse has more music to sing than any of the women. To my eyes and ears, Segal gave the performance of her still young career.”
Joseph So, La Scena Musicale

“Mezzo-Soprano Lauren Segal did a fantastic job as The Muse/Nicklausse. I especially enjoyed her rich, warm low notes, which had just the right amount of bite. Dramatically, her transition from the feminine muse to Hoffmann’s male friend was very well executed.”
Mooney on Theatre

“And then there is Lauren Segal's incandescent Nicklausse. Her dark velvet tone has just enough gleam on the top to cut through the dark cavernous hall like a beam of light.”
Axel van Chee, The Charlebois Post

"With four sopranos performing Hoffmann’s love fixations the main female role is that of the Muse/Nicklausse - Lauren Segal excels in every way.”
Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet.com

“Barefooted and frowzy-headed, she emanated all the sexuality a temptress can muster.”
Ontario Arts Review – Danny Gaisin [Carmen, Brott Summer Music]

"The Canadian Lauren Segal (Maddalena) was alluring, sexy, her voice rich in nuance. The best drama of the evening was her heated argument with Sparafucile over whom to murder."
Opera Magazine - Robert Markow

"... the richness of Segal’s tone and delightfully crisp, clear delivery... Segal showed her impressive range in “O mio Fernando” from La Favorita by Donizetti. Finely crafted lines and convincing acting made us feel her sorrow."
Opera Today - Gwenda Nemerofsky

“Toronto audiences are no stranger to mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal, whose Maddalena was one of the finest performances of the night.”
Globe and Mail – Alan Conter

“Mr. Ernesto Morillo and Miss Lauren Segal as Sparafucile and his sister Maddalena, could have stolen the entire show if their roles were not so confined.  When they were on stage, these artists dominated with a quality that portends future greatness…Miss Segal owns a ravishing vocal instrument.”
COMMANDOpera.com

 “Le tendem Sparafucille-Maddalena est studpéfiant de voix et de jeu…une aguicheuse de classe magnifiquement interprétée par Lauren Segal dont la musicalité de réels talents dramatiques laissent prager une belle carrier.”
Forum Opera – Réal Boucher

In translation:

“The team of Sparafucile-Maddalena amazed in both voice and acting ability…[A Maddalena] seductively and magnificently portrayed by Lauren Segal whose musicality and real dramatic talent point to a big career.”
Forum Opera – Réal Boucher

“Lauren Segal is one of the strongest Suzukis ever, both vocally and dramatically.”
Classical 96.3 – Paula Citron

“Butterfly's maid, Suzuki, was the glorious-voiced Canadian mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal. Possessing a range that would challenge any alto, Segal has a wonderful instrument. Her tone flows like heavy cream. An accomplished actress, her fierce loyalty to Butterfly was eminently convincing.”
Winnipeg Free Press – Gwenda Nemerofsky

“There is a power in Segal’s mezzo that belies her stature.  The timbre and range she imparted reflected soul”
Brott Music (blog) – Danny Gaisin

“The Dorabella was Lauren Segal, possessed of a rich and beautiful mezzo voice, and – no disadvantage – gorgeous to look at.”
Musicweb-interntional – Bernard Jacobson

“Superb is also the word for Lauren Segal’s Mercédès.  Segal is also understudying the title role.  It would be interesting to see what she could do as the lead…”
Hamilton (blog) – Leonard Turnevicius

“Special mention is due Lauren Segal (Mercédès), an intelligent young singer who must have the role of Carmen in her not-too-distant future.”
Concertonet – Michael Johnson

“Opera in Concert’s production of Donizetti’s bel canto Anna Bolena was uncommonly good led by music director Nathalie Doucet Lalkens who showed a deep understanding of interpretation. Mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal as Smeton always impresses with her honey-coated, distinctive, lush tone.”
Paula Citron, Classical 96.3 FM

“I also found the singing quite strong with talented Canadians – (including) mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal as Siébel – giving a very good account of themselves.”
Paula Citron, Classical 96.3fm

“Particularly striking was mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal (Sesto), who has a beautifully expressive tone and solid technique, and was totally at ease, dramatically and musically.”
Renee Maheu, Opera Canada