Soprano Lesley Craigie: During a recent acclaimed recital (with internationally renowned tenor Carl Tanner), Lesley Craigie was reviewed as "wonderous", "spellbinding","acted and sung sublimely", "soaring", "a tapestry of heavenly delight" and "an audience favorite".These are just a few of the glowing reviews Ms. Craigie has accrued in a career that is rapidly growing in recognition and praise.
Among the soprano's
latest accomplishments are a Capitol Hill appearance at National Tartan week honoring Scottish First Minister Alex
Salmond's visit to the USA, the featured soprano soloist at the Baltimore Opera
Company's Christmas and New Year's Concerts, and her debut as Violetta in La Traviatawith the Bel Canto Institute of New York.
Having sung over 14
roles, Ms. Craigie has established a solid repertoire and reputation in both Europe
and the U.S. Able to embrace numerous genres, she has sung roles from Giunone in
Calvalli's masterpiece La Calisto,
and Don Giovanni's
Donna Elvira to the romantic characters of Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi andGiulietta in the Tales of Hoffman. Her
vocal range and versatility has also brought her acclamation in the more
diverse performances of Polly Peachum in Threepenny
Operaand Murielin the world premiere of The Alien Corn composed by Thomas Benjamin.
Ms. Craigie, who began
her career in Scotland, made a professional move to the U.S. Now based in New York, the soprano has performed
with the New Jersey Opera Theater, The Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute
and the Washington Concert Opera and the Baltimore Opera, both as concert
soloist and ensemble member. In
addition, Ms. Cragie was invited to return to the European stage by the
esteemed soprano, Elly Ameling, as part of the Amici della Musica in Firenze.
Equally at home in
concert as in opera, the soprano regularly graces the concert stage. Among her many honors, Ms. Craigie was selected
to sing a series of concerts for the Richard Rogers Retrospective at the
Chautauqua Institute. Further demonstrations of the soprano's versatility are
her performances of the Berlioz Song Cycle, Les Nuits D'Ete, at Baltimore's An Die Musik Live! and
appearance as a duo with celebrated British guitarist Louise Southwood.The soprano's Oratorio credits are numerous, including
Elijah, Messiah, Bach'sMagnificat,
Handel's Dixit Dominu, Schubert's Mass in G, Faure's Requiem,
Mozart's Requiem.
As a student at the
Royal College of Music, London Ms. Craigie won a number of prestigious awards, including
the Principals awards.Continuing her
education at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, she achieved dual
Masters in Advanced Opera and Performance, all the time earning additional awards
and scholarships, such as the Sir James Caird Travelling Scholarship. Ms. Craigie won further recognition, awards
and scholarships while attending the Peabody Institute, Baltimore for her Graduate
Performance Diploma in Opera namely the Hilda Perl and Douglas Goodwin
Scholarship for Opera-a most coveted prize for voice.
Other accomplishments consist
of a first commercial recording released in 2004 on the Naxos Label as well as
being. featured with the Royal Scottish
National Orchestra under the baton of Marin Alsop as Geraldine in A Hand of Bridge by Barber.
The soprano's most recent
engagements comprise a recital for the American Scottish Foundation and Ellis
Island as part of the National Tartan Day Celebrations, and the soprano soloist
in Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. The cover role of
Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with Mercury Opera, NY is scheduled for fall
2010 and Ms. Craigie will be making her film debut as the Opera
Diva, appearingin the
new independent film written by Craig Lucas and David Linter, Le Cafe Diable.
