Biography
British mezzo soprano Laura Fleur is a young artist at the Opera Studio del Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Valencia. She was a 2022/23 Young Artist at the National Opera Studio, London. She recently completed her studies on the Opera course at the Guildhall School of music and drama. She previously graduated with a first class honours undergraduate degree and a Master of Performance degree with distinction from the Royal College of Music. Laura is a 2019 Leeds Lieder Festival Young Artist and a 2022 Garsington Alvarez Young Artist.
Operatic experience includes Speranza in Orfeo (Garsington Opera), Masha in La Pique Dame (Palau de les Arts), 2nd Lady in The Magic Flute (Clonter Opera), Ernestina in L’Occasione fa il Ladro (British Youth Opera at Opera Holland Park), Donna and Lady Fortune in Judith Weir's Miss Fortune, Armelinde in Viardot’s Cendrillon and Véronique in Le Docteur Miracle, Pompea in The Little Green Swallow (Guildhall Opera), Ruggiero in Alcina (Ensemble Orquesta at Grimeborn Festival), Mrs Kneebone in A Dinner Engagement (RCM Opera Studio), Melanto in Il Ritorno D'Ulisse (Suffolk Villages Festival), and Nerone in L'Incoronazione di Poppea (The New Renaissance Collective).
In contemporary operas she has premiered Venus in Paradise Garden, Elise in The Apothecary (Guildhall Opera Makers), Angelica in The Fermi Paradox, and Embryo 3 in Our Perfect Child (RCM/Tête-à-tête). In Opera Scenes she has performed the roles of Dorabella, Concepcion, Stephano, Hermia at the RCM, and Sesto (La Clemenza di Tito), Marie (Written on Skin), Béatrice (Béatrice et Bénédict), Mercédès, Octavian and L'Enfant at the GSMD, and Rosina, Dorabella, Medée, Komponist and Ramiro at the National Opera Studio. At the Drottningholm Slottsteater, Stockholm, she performed in Handel Opera Scenes as Serse and Sesto.
Laura’s recent concert highlights have included making her Barbican Hall debut singing Ravel’s Shéhérazade with the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Roberto González-Monjas, being the alto ensemble member with Classical Opera and the Mozartist’s concert tour of Così fan tutte, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Orchestra Age of Enlightenment at the Royal Festival Hall and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Stravinsky's Pulcinella with the Guildhall Chamber Orchestra, and Bach cantatas with the London Handel Orchestra and a Mahler song project with Roger Vignoles.
She has performed in masterclasses with Ann Hallenberg, Ann Murray DBE, Carlos Chausson, Tara Erraught, Amanda Roocroft, Ian Page and Mark Tucker. Laura was a finalist in the 2021 Maureen Lehane vocal awards.
Laura was a Wax Chandlers’ Scholar and has been supported by The Margery and Stephen Wright Eisinger Award, a Help Musicians Sybil Tutton award, a Countess of Munster Award and the Pimlott Foundation. During her studies she has been kindly supported by the Guildhall School, the William Gibbs Educational Trust and the Mario Lanza Educational Foundation.
Future performances include performing as 2nd Nymph in Rusalka at Les Arts, Valencia.
"La Speranza’s aria of hope, sung by Laura Fleur, was particularly beautiful."
Claire Seymour, Opera Today, Orfeo at Garsington Opera 2022
"Zoe Drummond as Eurydice, Claire Lees as the embodiment of Music, and Laura Fleur as the spirit of Hope each make their marks."
The Guardian, Martin Kettle, Orfeo at Garsington Opera 2022
"It was wonderful to see Laura Fleur in another Guildhall show, once more strong and convincing here as Donna. The Guildhall is awash with vocal talent, that much is evident."
Colin Clarke OperaNow, The Telephone and Miss Fortune at the Guildhall school of music and drama 2022
"Laura Fleur outstanding as the knight, Ruggiero."
Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian, Alcina at Grimeborn Festival 2021
"As Berenice's companion, Laura Fleur proved delightfully sunny and engaging, a lively presence yet someone for whom complexity lay underneath. And vocally, Fleur provided a lovely foil to Fisk, and impressed in her solo moments."
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill, Ernestina in L'Occasione fa il ladro with British Youth Opera 2021