Lawrence Zazzo

Lawrence Zazzo Biography

The American countertenor Lawrence Zazzo is one of the most outstanding singers of his generation. A native of Philadelphia and a graduate in both English and Music from Yale University and King’s College, Cambridge, Lawrence made his operatic debut as Oberon A Midsummer Night’s Dream to great acclaim while completing his vocal studies at the Royal College of Music, London. He has since appeared in many of the world’s finest opera houses and concert halls. His opera roles include the title role in Giulio Cesare (Metropolitan Opera New York, Paris, Brussels, Seville, Bilbao), the title role in Gluck’s Orfeo (Toronto, Netherlands), Oberon A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lyon, Toronto), Farnace Mitridate (Munich), Festival), the title role in Radamisto (English National Opera), Arsamene Serse (Theatre des Champs-Elysees, English National Opera), Goffredo Rinaldo (Berlin Staatsoper, Opéra de Montpellier); Ottone Agrippina (Brussels, Frankfurt, Theatre de Champs-Elysees), Endimione La Calisto (Munich, Brussels, Paris), Giuliano in Cavalli’s Eliogabalo (Brussels, Paris), Ottone L’incoronazione di Poppea (Berlin, Brussels, Munich, Vienna), and the title roles in Handel’s Sosarme (Sao Carlos, Lisbon) and Alessandro (Karlsruhe). Lawrence is also a keen advocate of 20th century and contemporary music. His Paris Opera debut was as Kreon in Liebermann’s Medea. He created the role of Trinculo in Thomas Ades’ The Tempest at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and has sung Sciarrino’s Luci mie traditrici in Brussels, New York, and Rouen. He is closely associated with the role of Mascha in Peter Eötvos’ Three Sisters which he has performed in several productions in Lyon, Brussels, Edinburgh, Vienna, and the Netherlands. He made his BBC Symphony Orchestra debut in their commission of Jonathan Dove’s Hojoki, sang the Refugee in Dove’s Flight for the Glyndebourne Festival, and made his Wigmore recital debut with a programme of 20th-century American songs.