South African-Canadian mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal is quickly establishing herself as a young singer to watch. Critics praise her tone for its “gleaming, luscious timbre” (La Scena Musicale) and her operatic interpretations as “absolutely sensational” (Paula Citron), “spectacular” (The Toronto Star) and “alluring, sexy, her voice rich in nuance” (Opera Magazine). Opera News recently praised, "Mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal used her lustrous voice and fine acting ability to convey the Muse's hope and frustration and provided moral grounding for the entire production."
Highlighted regularly during her time with the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, Ms. Segal has most recently returned to the company in a critically acclaimed performance as The Muse/Nicklausse in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Other appearances with the Canadian Opera Company include Aljeja in Janáček’s From The House of The Dead, Sonya in Prokovief’s War and Peace, Diane in Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride, Mercédès in Carmen, Nancy T'Sang in Nixon in China, Dryade in Ariadne auf Naxos, Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte, Popova in Walton’s The Bear, Dritte Magd in Elektra and Siebel in Faust. The singer was the only Canadian to participate in the inaugural Salzburg Festival Young Artist Project.
In the upcoming 2013/14 season, Ms Segal will appear as Meg Page in Falstaff with l’Opéra de Montréal and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Calgary Opera. She will make her debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Mozart’s Coronation Mass as well as with Niagara Symphony in Mahler’s Leider eines fahrenden Gesellen. She will be heard in Bach’s St. Johns Passion with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and with the new series Recitals at Rosedale. She will also participate in the Beakerhead Festival in a concert that celebrates the meeting of science and the arts.
Ms Segal’s 2012/13 season included Maddalena in Rigoletto with both Opera Hamilton and Manitoba Opera, The Muse/Nicklausse/A Voice in Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Edmonton Opera, Métella in Offenbach’s La Vie Parisienne with Toronto Operetta Theatre and the title role in Carmen with Saskatoon Opera. Her concert performances included Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Richard Eaton Singers, a gala concert with the Brott Music Festival, recitals with the Canadian Art Song Project and Off Center Salon and a performance with Against the Grain Theatre in Janáček’s The Diary of One who Disappeared.
Highlights of Ms Segal’s 2011/12 season included the title role in Carmen with the Brott Music Festival, a role which she went on to understudy under the baton of Maestro Lorin Maazel with the Fondazione Lirico Sinfonica Petruzzelli e Teatri di Bari. She sang Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Hamilton, The Muse/Nicklausse in Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Diane in Iphigénie en Tauride with the Canadian Opera Company as well as in galas both l’Opéra de Montréal and the Aldeburgh Connection.
Recent seasons have also included Maddalena in l’Opéra de Montréal's Rigoletto, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte for Pacific Opera Victoria and the Canadian Opera Company; Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly with Manitoba Opera and Opera Hamilton; Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus and Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with Opera Hamilton as well as Agnese in Bellini’s Beatrice di tenda, Fenena in Nabucco and Smeton in Anna Bolena with Toronto’s Opera in Concert, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro at The Banff Centre and Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito at the Orford Arts Festival.
Equally at home on the concert platform Ms. Segal’s recent concert performances include Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with Orchestra Toronto, Handel’s Messiah with the Vancouver Bach Choir, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Windsor Symphony as well as appearances at the Westben Festival in Schumann’s Frauenliebe und Leben, in recitals with Le FestiVoix de Trois-Rivières and the Aldeburgh Connection in Bayfield, and with the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in Opera under the Stars. Additional concert repertoire performed in seasons past include Handel’s Messiah with the Grand Philharmonic Choir and Victoria Symphony, an Opera Gala performance with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Elijah with Nézet-Séguin and Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal.
In addition to her operatic and concert work, Ms. Segal has been involved in the film industry where her most recent work has resulted in the short film ‘Dalila’ produced by Acquamarina Productions. ‘Dalila’ has been screened at the Chicago International Music and Movies Festival and the Italian Contemporary Film Festival and follows a trilogy of short films also with Acquamarina Productions entitled ‘DESIRE: An Operatic Trilogy’. Inspired by arias from Le Nozze di Figaro, Carmen and Vivaldi’s Bajazet, the three installments of the trilogy - ‘Cherubino’, ‘Carmen’ and ‘Irene’ - have been screened at multiple film festivals including the Palm Springs International Short Fest, the Chicago International Music and Movies Festival where ‘Cherubino’ won a Special Jury Award, The Eugene International Film Festival where ‘Carmen’ and ‘Irene’ won Best Art Short Awards, the 8th Annual Park City Film Music Festival 2011 where ‘Irene’ won multiple awards including the Director’s Choice Award as well as the Nevada City Film Festival, the Female Eye Film Festival, the Delta International Film and Video Festival, the North by Northeast Film Festival and the Sciacca Filmfest.
Lauren Segal is a two-time recipient of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Encouragement Awards. She holds a Master’s of Science degree from the Department of Physics at the University of Toronto.Ms. Segal gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Peter Paul Charitable Foundation.
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