Hi Laura
I really enjoyed your web page. A nice balance between reality and cynicism. I am really looking forward to feeling you sing in Pittsburgh, Pa on May 6.

I am sure many people will learn from your teachings.
I am sorry to hear about Tullio

All I have to say is.....Natalie who? Why are YOU not at the MET?????? I really adore your singing. Thank you for being a truly committed artist in style and in soul. Brava!

Just searching the web re: family activity. As a music graduate I'm excited to see accomplishments in the Claycomb family. This is my first introduction to Laura but will be sure to follow her career. BRAVO

Have just been reading more of your webpage, and am planning to send my Vocal Pedagogy students to read as much as they can. Some are wanting to be performers and some teachers, some not sure yet, but your advice is sooo sound. Thanks a lot---take care!

Hi Laura,
I came across your Caro Nome on Youtube and it was absolutely stunning - both your voice and dramatic interpretation. You are a great model for us young lyric coloraturas. Thank you.

-Makeda

As a young singer, I regularly consult your YAC for advice and guidance; it is the perfect combination of valuable information and good ol' common sense! Thank you!!!

Hi Laura, I have discovered you through youtube. I have a video I created with pictures of my dog - I hope this cheers you up - he is showing signs of talent even at the age of 14, a little like me. Ie with his squeaky toy while I am practising. I had a cockatiel who whistles the Toreador's song, until he gets the notes in the right order! he won't stop. My ambition is to have the best voice I can acquire, that can be the only thing I know is achievable now with the right teacher. If you fancy and have time to look and listen to the more serious ones, please do, and I'd love a comment or two.

Laura,

I had a brief opportunity to talk to you when you came down to SMU for a rehearsal on Halloween for Barber's Knoxville (I was so sad that you were unable to perform due to illness). You have such a sublime voice, and your Young Artist Corner is such a valuable resource. It's great to be able to see the types of things to expect and tips from someone who has already been there and done that!

Thanks for all your valuable information and for being such an inspiration; I LOVE your voice!

-Lsuren (mezzo-in-training)

Neat Website! Loved your performance of Daughter of the Regiment. Really sparkled and very fun! Also want to thank you for the impromptu Q and A With Patrick Summers after the matinee. Sometimes we forget that performers are people too, and your comfortable and pleasant attitude was just a revelation. Hope you will be returning to Houston. I will certainly be marking my calender.

Dear Laura,
Many years ago I heard you sing "Ach,ich fuhl's" at the Washington Friday Morning Musical competition (or whatever it was), and then two years of Merola as a fantastic colleague and artist.
You have just grown and continued to do beautiful, moving work as a singing actress. I heard your Cleopatra on the radio from Houston last night, and was simply thrilled for you! Congratulations---I was sorry to read of Tullio's passing. What a splendid little guy he was! My husband and I hope to hear your Pittsburgh Giulietta this season. (Our three-year-old will not be attending, if I can help it. I remember when you learned the role and did some of the rehearsals starting your Adler Fellowship.)
You sound sublime. What a glorious musicality---YUM!

Much love, Jennifer Davis Jones (now Mosher)

Dear Laura,
Many thanks for the YAC section on your website - I have sent many young singers there for advice and have used it myself as well.Glad your career is going wonderfully.
Best wishes,
Barbara

Hi, Laura. Looking forward to seeing you in SF with the SFS. I wept for dear Tullio--he felt like my own. Loads of love to you, lovely young lady. Jane Benson

Howdy,
Sorry about your friend (doggie) Tullio. It's cool that you shared that.
Anyway, I'm lookin' forward to seein' you in Houston Texas soon.
Take care.

I am very sorry to hear about Tullio's passing. My beloved Sheltie, Conor, died on May 26 at age 14 years, 4 months, so I know how it feels. My best to you and I am looking forward to meeting you in Pittsburgh for I Capuleti.

Dear Laura,

I checked out your website a few years ago and it's even better now.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your beautiful singing. I am also a singer and I must say I rarely hear someone with your flexibility, clarity of tone, gorgeous (unmanufactured) timbre, perfect technique and musicality to boot. You've really got it going on.

I have gobs of recordings of most of the popular sopranos now and I'd prefer to hear you hands down over the other sopranos in your category with recording contracts. I wish you all the best and I hope you get to sing at the Met someday soon.
Candice

Hello, there!

What a wonderful performance in July! I send you an email, but not sure if you got it! I sent you a text message, but now I think you learned your news at the same time, and then didn't get it...

SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry to hear about the loss of Tullio. You know how cool I thought he was. He brought joy to many dog-starved Glimmerglassians and everyone who he met. He will not soon be forgotten!

I hope all is well besides this very sad news!

Love CHRIS

From: Mark Gillum
To:ms. Laura Claycomb
Date:08/01/2007


Ms. Laura Claycomb;
(Quintessential Coloratura 21st Century)
You are a God Blessed Voice in the Earth...quintessentially, magnificently,
ethereal acting and singing voice of the
21st Century...may God continously Bless
You and Keep You and may you Prosper in
every area of your life.

Sincerely,
Mark Gillum
Classical Voices For God

Hallo! You have the coolest website! I haven't had the chance to hear you live yet. Really must fix that in a hurry.

Hope everything is going well and hope Tullio is still going strong, too!

Cheers,

I read over your site after googling "advice for young singers". tornerò nel futuro per trovare qualsiasi consiglio!! Grazie e tanti auguri

Coming back from Montpellier with my husband, where we went to hear Traetta's "Hippolito ed Aricia", we are very impressed by your performance..... and this wonderful score... Is there a chance of an official release with C. Rousset ? Some of your arie where both very Mozartian and "Armide-sque".... and you were in turn very moving or absolutely terrifying. Your Fedra was burning like a flame on the stage....

We have very fond memories of your appeareances in Paris "Capuletti", Salzburg "Le grand Macabre", Montpellier "Giulio Cesare" and are eagerly awaiting Paris "Ariodante".

Would it be possible to have a copy of your CD ? I'd love to hear your angel from Messian's Saint François, this is one of my favorite operas. (I can't download Real player)

Regards,
Emmanuelle Sayag-Pesqué

Thank you very much for your great preformances in Lausanne. We miss you!

J'ai vu Ariodante à Paris. Je t'ai trouvée magnifique. La Cléopatre de Montpellier était aussi là...

"Je ne savais plus si je respirais de la musique ou si j'entendais des parfums" GUY DE MAUPASSANT.
This was what I felt the first time I heard your voice in Geneva and I sill feel the same today. All my best. Allex.

we're all very proud to have known you
All the best.
Tony

You are the perfect soprano.However
we are deprived of your voice because you do not have cds yet.

Kind regards
Konstantinos

Hallo!
I had a small talk with you in Japan after a concert with Ensemble Modern in August 2000.
You sang Salonen's Five Images after Sappho. I gave you my comment on Salonen's tune at the party.

I was surprised to find this website and to know you are not a specialist for modern music.
You are singing at famous opera houses!
Hopefully I will enjoy your opera performances in Japan.
(I like modern music but also operas!)

Estimada Sra. Laura Claycomb:
Soy un ferviente admirador suyo argentino. Siguo su carrera con entusiasmo, y felicito su arte. Quisiera recibir una foto suya autografiada. Sería de gran valor para mi. Afectuosamente
Fabián Pedacchio

I had the pleasure of seeing you in San Francisco Opera's "Ariadne auf Naxos" last week, and now, having just returned from hearing you in the Messiaen celebration in Berkeley, I immediately checked out your website to see when you would grace our city's stages again. I can't wait to hear you again, but I will wait if I have to. Thank you for two very satisfying performances.

Just wanted to tell you that we saw your performance last Saturday at the San Francisco Opera and we really loved it. You are not only a great singer but also a talented actress. My husband, Bruce has been a member of the Walnut Creek Festival Opera Chorus so we attended a party the next day and ran into Bojan (sp) and Kristan. So it was fun to tell her that she did a great job in Adrianne as well. Bojan told me about your Web site. It is really well done! We also saw your performance tonight at Cal Performances. As you could tell, the crowd loved it. It must have taken a lot of practice. Keep up the great work and we hope you will be able to return to the San Francisco Opera frequently. You can give that message to Pamela Rosenberg! Sylvia Benzler

I heard Ms. Claycomb in London at the Barbican as Gretel last Christmas, before that in several concerts at the Barbican, on the radio and read articles and reviews on her in Opera magazine, I think, too. (About Cleopatra in Sweden.) I love her voice and her communication on stage. I wish I could hear Lucia, but I'm in England. I can not wait to finally see her onstage at English National Opera this Spring. It is so nice to be able to get to know a singer from her website. Thanks for the advice for young singers. It's an inspiration.

Fondly,
Genny

I heard you in Santiago,Chile performing
in Rigoletto in 1997,and my notes from that program were " BEST SOPRANO I'VE EVER HEARD CRYSTAL,BELL LIKECARA NOME 2min STANDING OVATION! NOT A FLAW IN HER VOICE. I came back and told
everyone I knew in music to find her.
I live in Arlington,Texas and was singing in Fort Worth. No one knew about you. I actually went to the opera to hear the Tenor Tito Beltran. You were
incredible. Thanks for that great performance. I can not wait to hear you again. I read about you in OPERA CUES
from Houston Grand Opera.BRAVA!BRAVA!
This RAVE REVIEW was written by a Tenor.

I am a vocal performance major at the University of Houston. I saw Laura Claycomb on the opening night of Lucia at HGO. I was really impressed, I was just trying to find out if she had an album, or if there was going to be a recording available of this performance of Lucia.

Saw you in Rigoletto; going to see you in Lucia di Lammermoor at Houston Grand Opera. Love your flexible, sweet voice. You give opera a good name.

Dear Ms Claycomb:

What a joy it was today, after months of lurking in your Young Artist Advice Corner, to finally hear your inspirational singing!

After today's performance of Lucia, I thoroughly understand why your singing has gathered so many accolades. I just phoned my coach, who hasn't heard you yet, and spent 10 minutes raving about your technique and the beauty of your voice. But that wasn't all that touched me today; your Lucia became very real and very close to me, and I thought I knew every thought she had during her harrowing ordeal. Wow!

Thank you for such a moving performance and also for inspiring me as a singer.

All best wishes for the remainder of the run. I will enjoy following your career in future years!

Truly,
Susan Hurley

Holy Cow!!! I've just spent most of the morning on your website and am as fascinated by the person there as I was with your Gilda and Lucia at HGO (I saw Lucia at yesterday's matinee and was just as thrilled--I don't use the word often--as I was with your Gilda last season). I'm even smitten with Tullio! He sounds a lot like my four-footed best friend Clyde ("The Greeter" at our local dog park). Mostly, I feel privileged to have enjoyed your performances. Thank you. Best wishes for continued success. And if that little critter Tullio gets bored while you're at rehearsal, I've got the solution.

On Sunday, Jan. 19, your performance was beyond stellar. Bravo!!!

I LOVE LAURA!!! Was enraptured by her singing in "Rigolleto" last year, and totally titillated by her in today's "Lucia de Lammermoor." Many thanks for the body rushes. You are the best, Laura.

Laura- you are abso-beautiful-luetly, wonderful!!!! Your Lucia in Houston gives opera serious hope!!! God bless you, one of your number one supporters

Saw Lucia again last sunday; I enjoyed Laura's performance even more than before since I could concentrate more on the singing and acting and ignore the surtitles. You're a blessing to Houston Opera, Laura!

Utterly thrilled by the concert in Austin tonight! Thank you so much for your adventuresome musicality and your superbly glorious and gracious artistry.

I attended the "Lucia" performance Sunday Feb 2nd and was astounded. I almost didn't go because "Lucia" is not one of my favorites and it turned out to be a most memorable experience. I told the girl behind me 3 days later at the Dallas opera. She said, Oh, yes! I competed against her in undergraduate and her voice was awesome then. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!

I saw you last night in Alcina at ENO and you were seriously awesome, very inspiring and extremely classy in the acting department. Just wanted to say your web-site is a master-piece, you must have put a lot of work into it and on behalf of many young singers (I'm sure) I'd like to say thankyou for sharing some of the secrets to your success - very generous. Good luck with everything else that you do this year and I look forward to hearing you at ENO or the ROH soon!

Great performance as Morgana in Alcina at ENO. Look forward to seeing you as Zerbinetta somewhere.

I am glad to have found this site. I heard your excellent Gilda in Houston last season and was quite "blown away" by it. Immaculately sung, and I believed every word. When you optioned the top E at the end of Caro Nome, it did not seem like a stunt at all, just what a girl enraptured might sing. This season, I saw Lucia twice, and both times was tremendously impressed. I've seen Lucia about a dozen times in my life, twice with Sutherland and twice with Sills, and this was the first time that the Mad Scene moved me so deeply. I was - I blush to confess - in tears by the end of it. Again, that impossibly high note did not seem like a stunt. I loved that whole cadenza, by the way (and what was that top note?) There were so many touches in your performance that seemed so right, so believable; and you were fortunately partnered by the splendid Mr. Cole. I look forward to your Cleopatra next year. It's one of my favorite operas, which I've seen 3 times over the years, and I am eager to hear what you'll do.

Many thanks for some lovely evenings in the theatre!

This is Wonderful. I have enjoyed searching and reading, listening to your beautiful voice, getting great tips on singing, health, finances, traveling, dealing with pressure and nerves, loneliness, and finding the right coaches, doctors, and picking the right roles. Viva Claycomb!!!!!!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the practical advice for young singers!! I was amazed by your performance as Zerbinetta last season, and am not surprised to find you are as generous a person as you are a performer. Thank you again, and best wishes for continued success!

Great Web-site!

Your "CarO nome" is stupendous!

I was in Houston two years ago and saw Laura Claycomb's Gilda, in Rigoletto. Reviewers sometimes have it wrong when they write about a new soprano's entry, but they hit it exactly when they wrote about Laura Claycomb (review excerpts are quoted in this website). She was nothing less than magnificent, so much so that it's really worthwhile to make a trip to any of the far-flung venues where she has sung just to witness the happy marriage of her truly superb voice and her quite remarkable acting skills.

Great Voice. Great site.

I just saw you in Giulio Cesare in Houston and I'm looking forward to your recital in SA tomorrow.

Paul

Hi. I just wanted to tell you that since I started studying voice 6 years ago, your site has been a great resource for information on this strange and wonderful journey in singing. I often refer younger students here at SF Conservatory to your site for info. Thanks so much for being such a supportive and helpful person. You give a realistic and insightful view into what life might be like for us down the road. Thank you thank you thank you :)
Sincerely,
Jessica Slatkoff
ps Any chance of you coming to visit here with us or maybe a master class???

I had the pleasure of hearing your dress rehearsal last night in TO. I enjoyed the show immensly - it's a very strong cast but YOU are spectacular! The best Gilda I've seen or heard! I am a soprano in the COC Chorus and was given a ticket. I wish you a sensational run and hope that you will be back in the near future - in a show that gives you a chance to meet the COC chorus chicks.
Cheers,
jenn

My husband and I heard you Friday night in Rigoletto and we were transported by the beauty and clarity of your voice. Hearing you has been one of our greatest experiences in opera and we have been COC patrons for over 20 years. Now we are searching for your CD. Thank you so much.

Yesterday I saw the most magnificent Rigoletto in memory, and I have seen quite a few. Your Gilda was memorable. Not only do you sing like an angel, but you can act and you look gorgeous. Many, many thanks.

Dear Ms.Claycomb,
I just recently saw you perform Gilda in Rigoletto at the COC and was completely blown away. This web site is truly fantastic. I know that alot of people from our school at the The University of Toronto use your web page as a constant resource. I thank you for your honesty and for showing all the reality of this art form- it is a relief to hear what is to be expected.
I am currently having trouble on how to research voice teachers, when travelling to a new country.
This coming fall I will be attending the Royal Academy of music and I was wondering if you knew who the top teacher's were out there by any chance or who you have heard about.
I understand you are very busy, but I would appreciate any help you could offer.
Thank you for your time. Michelle.

I Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your recital in Austin, TX two seasons ago. I was at UT-Austin at the time, and your expression, ease of registration, well basically everything about your performance was dazzling.
Thank you for your report on Tri-Cities here on the site; it is a fabulous program with the BEST teachers around. They teach a technique that will allow a singer to enjoy a long career, and have spawned the careers of many great singers such as Placido Domingo, Richard Leech, Marietta Simpson, Jake Gardner, Bruce Reed, and more recently Aaron St. Clair Nicholson, Jill Gardner, and Jeremy Galyon.
Best of fortunes as your career unfolds... we will be watching!

Ms. Claycomb-
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your website is a WONDERFUL resource for young singers...I have yet to absorb everything that you've put up on your "Young Artists' Corner" page. Believe me, it is not so easy to find information like that all in one place. And, needless to say, your singing is really amazing. Especially the "Eccomi...Oh, quante volte!"...just absolutely exquisite. I can't wait to hear you sing at the Met.
Best Regards,
Rachel Arky

Laura,
Your website is absolutely incredible. I am e-mailing it to all of my Opera Singing Friends so they can check it out. It is intelligent, articulate and
helpful in every aspect of being a singer. Thank you so much for such a great resource!

Dear Laura,

I saw your performance yesterday in Ariadne auf Naxos at LA Opera and you were fantastic. I couldn't believe the combination of your hilarious physical comedy plus the most gorgeous vocal tone and control. You stole the show, my dear!

Your website is a wonderful resource for singers of all experience levels, or for those who are merely curious. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Best wishes,
Scott Spalding

Hi Laura

Just wanted to say THANK-YOU THANK-YOU THANK-YOU so so much for writing these pages!! I'm 17 years old and after having spent 10 years being trained to sing musical theatre as an alto, 12 months ago I was thrown into the world of operatic singing by a nearby music conservatoire who've re-trained me as a soprano and I LOVE IT!!!! I never would have thought of singing operatically - or even singing above a c (third space) but now it's all I want to do and I'm so excited about a future in music. But at the same time I AM finding it really scary, and having just found your pages today, they've given me loads of advice and encouragement and I'm really grateful!!! So THANK-YOU!!!

Ceri-lyn

Congratulations on your great web-site. Now that I am in a position to teach voice, choir and music at UT Dallas, Collin County Community College, and Brookhaven, I am having a great time. And, I think of what a fantastic sound I heard the last time I heard you sing. It is so nice to see one go from a children's choir to an international star.
Regards, Hoyt

Dear Laura,

I was recently chatting with Maria Fortuna who mentioned your website to me. My mind is spinning from all the roles you have managed to sing in all these past years. Congratulations on your tremendous success. I still remember how lovely your "Ruhe sanft..." was on the Grand Finals Concert in 1989. It is a joy to see you doing so well. Enjoy your Tytania - such a beautiful opera and Tytania has the most lovely music.

I would say that I hope to hear you live but I hardly think that your brilliant career will bring you to Connecticut. I live here and teach voice at the Hartt School. I will have to pass your site on to some of my young hopefuls.

Merry Christmas Laura and Happy New Year,

Cherie Caluda

Terrific site, Laura. I sang with San Fran chorus while you were there (early '90s) If you go to my site, you might remember me. I found your site looking for advice for a young singer. I'm a studio singer for film, commercials, CDs etc. Married to film composer Jeff Beal and a mom. Much happier recording, than I was performing. Your advice is very wise. Being a world class performer (as you are!) is a difficult, yet rewarding path. Will be sending aspiring opera singers to your site. Continued success! All the best, Joan

Dear Laura,

we didn't have the opportunity til now to sing together and I arrived on your site from Alfonso's one. Your site is amazing and full of very interesting instructions, photos and informations. You did a fantastic work! Hope to see you soon in person! Toy toy for everything!
Massimiliano Gagliardo