Claire Groom: Biography
Soprano Claire Groom graduated with distinction from the Royal Northern College of music in 2005. She studied with Barbara Robotham.
Whilst at the RNCM she was awarded the Joyce and Michael Kennedy Award for the Singing of Strauss, the Bruce Millar/Gulliver Prize for young opera singers, the Dame Eva Turner Award for potential dramatic soprano's and the Diva Opera Young Artist Award. She has also been supported by the Amanda Roocroft Award, Robin Kay Memorial Prize for Opera Singing, Lucy Pierce Award and the John Cameron Prize for Lieder.
In 2005 Claire was awarded a coveted BBC Fame Academy Bursary worth £37,500 to fund her training and promotion.
She is now enjoying an exciting concert and recital schedule. In 2004 she made her Royal Albert Hall debut in Handel's Messiah conducted by Sir David Willcocks and was invited back to sing Mozart's Requiem in 2006 and Haydn's Creation with Brian Kay. She then went on to perform the Messiah with Brian Kaye in the Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing. She has also sung for the BBC Proms/Radio 3 and at venues such as the Bridgewater Hall, Victoria and Albert Museum and The Wigmore Hall. Claire has a great love of Richard Strauss - she has toured Germany singing the Vier Letzte Lieder and in 2006 performed them again with the Sheffield Philharmonic. In 2006 she also gave a recital as part of the 'Rising Stars' series for the Lake District Festival and sang the role of Rosalinda in the party scene from Die Fledermaus, alongside Jose Carreras.
As an oratorio soloist she has performed works by Bach (Magnificat, St Matthew Passion, St John Passion), Vivaldi (Gloria), Beethoven (Mass in C), Mozart (Requiem, Solemn Vespers, Coronation Mass, Mass in C minor, Te Deum, Exultate Jubilate), Haydn (Nelson Mass, The Seasons, Heiligmesse, Creation), Mendelssohn (Elijah, Lauda Sion, Hymn of Praise), Brahms (German Requiem), Elgar (Spirit of England), Jenkins (Mass for Peace), Verdi (Requiem), Dvorak (Te Deum), Orff (Carmina Burana) and Poulenc (Gloria).
In her final year at the RNCM Claire performed the lead role of Magda in Puccini's La Rondine to critical acclaim. She has since toured Europe singing the roles of Adina (L'Elisir D'Amore), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi) and Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) for Diva Opera and performed the role of Violetta (La Traviata) for the Mananan International Opera Festival.
In 2009 Claire extensively toured Asia and the UAE in the role of Dorabella in European Chamber Opera's production of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte. This attracted a lot of media attention as the first opera to have been performed in Kuwait.
Other roles whilst at the RNCM included Karen (A Better Place, RNCM) and covers of Donna Anna (Don Giovanni, RNCM), Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus, Clonter Opera ) Fiorilla (Il Turco in Italia, Buxton Festival ) and Silvia (Ascanio in Alba, Buxton Festival).
Claire also enjoys working with contemporary composers. In 2002 she covered the role of Hadewijch in Andriessen's opera De Materie (UK première). In 2003 she performed Pintscher's Lieder und Schneebilder at the BBC Proms and Nine Settings of Lorine Niedecker for Sir Harrison Birtwistle. In 2004 she was soloist for the UK premiere of Tovey's Requiem for a Charred Skull and performed part of Gruber's Frankenstein!! at the Wigmore Hall.
Future engagements include a series of Romantic and Viennese opera galas and 'Mozartissimo' shows for Opera Box. She will also sing the title role of Leila in Bizets Pecheurs de Perles on the 2010 UK tour.
Claire would like to take this opportunity to thank the BBC for their support.
Strictly for reference/web use only. Please contact Miss Groom before reproducing.