Prague

I arrived last week in Prague to sing Mahler's 2nd Symphony with San Francisco Symphony Orchestra at the Prague May Festival on their European tour. My plane landed, and as we disembarked from the plane, there on the tarmac stood a man with a piece of paper with my name on it. Instead of getting in the bus like everyone else, he whooshed me and my luggage into the waiting black Mercedes and took me to the luxurious VIP lounge, where they told me my car to take me to the airport was waiting. Wow! I hopped in and was off in less than 3 minutes after landing! What a life! THIS is what people imagine an opera singer's life to be! Ha ha! If only if were always like this. (Thank you, May Festival!)
Hotel involved the now-standard "Oh, we didn't know you needed a feather-free room" (despite faxes, calls, reservations, etc...) and I had to wait only 3 minutes for housekeeping to show up to change out all my pillows and duvet, etc... Years of experience have shown that putting ALL your linens out in the hall in a lump seems to get housekeeping's attention. Problem is that most housekeeping staffs in EVERY country in the world involve minimum wage immigrants from some OTHER country who don't really speak the language that well to begin with, nor seem to ever read directions from the front desk. Oh well. At least I know the routine now.
My first night, I came upon the strangest sight - a square filled with people dressed up like cowboys, Union soldiers all on horseback and one lone indian and a guy who looked like Davy Crockett (no horse, though...) They were lining up for some kind of parade. It was surreal to be in the Czech republic and come across cowboys when I've just spent three months in Texas without seeing ONE!
Anyhow, running around town, I came upon some gorgeous Art nouveau architecture, and realized that some of my favorite pictures of Art Nouveau actually come from Prague!! The funniest thing was when I came into the restaurant of the theater where our concert was: it had a clock I had been drooling over in my picture file. Here I was, SINGING where the original was! And I didn't even know it! I really have to start researching more before I go someplace....
Prague was a fairytale, and we enjoyed our time here immensely. I'd love to go back when my camera really works... ;-)

Vienna

Saturday afternoon, I arrived with the entire San Francisco Symphony and the other soloist, Katarina, on a charter flight from Prague. I had a few hours to put things in order, send emails and rest at the hotel, then headed over to the Konzerthaus for a concert with the local chorus, the Vienna Singakademie. It was a bit of a rocky start, as the chorus seemed a little underpowered and the tenors continually flat. We had thirty minutes of break, then rehearsed bits and pieces with the orchestra. My husband and his friend best friend Onofrio brought me dinner - a half lobster and rice!! Yum! We then had another thirty minutes to get ourselves ready for the concert. At the concert, the chorus really stepped up to the bar and pulled out all their stops, and the concert was a huge success. We got a standing ovation from the Viennese public. Not an easy feat, I'm told. MTT seemed pleased. Mahler for the Viennese. Not a bad thing.

I've been to Vienna so many times, usually to see something director Peter Sellars was doing, so Vienna always reminds me of Peter. This time was no different in that respect. He had a show (Desdemona) whose last night was running at the same time as our concert, darn it. Next time... But at least I got to see some of the "Peter Sellars family!" He has worked with mostly the same team for years, and they do really become family after a while if you've ever worked with him.

My friends Kathy Kelly, Onofrio Colucci and Patricia Sellars came to the concert and we had a great time catching up a bit before they started to kick us out of my dressing room... Kathy and Onofrio joined us for a night crawl to Dreschler Café, where we met Jim Ingalls for a bite to eat. I found out my friends had seen Onofrio perform in Cirque du Soleil without knowing it (he was the clown who originated the role that opens O in Las Vegas) and that Kathy and Jim knew (and loved!) each other from working together at the Met years ago. It was fantastic to make all these connections. My favorite thing to do - see my friends from different lives enjoy each other!

Sunday, since we woke up the next morning and the world had NOT ended (some crazies were saying that a bunch of calendars pointed to 1am on Sunday morning being the end of the world...), my husband and I wandered around town with Onofrio and his wife and baby. It was a gorgeous day, and it was lovely just to stroll about and enjoy life as a Viennese person would. Here are some pictures.

PITTSBURGH LUCIA

I'm obviously trying to get some pictures up here! Here are some Lucia pictures with my lovely cast in Pittsburgh - more to come soon!!

HGO Ariadne

Just a few pictures from our run of Ariadne (more to come!) First with the INCREDIBLE Christine Goerke and old friend Jim Cameron, and the second of me in costume. It's so weird that I'm coming back to the same beautiful John Cox production after so many years - I debuted the role in this production and I love it! It is as fresh as ever!

Wish it didn't have to end...

PRAGUE!

I arrived in Prague yesterday, and it brought back memories of my trip here with my sister years ago. We spent a long weekend here for fun when she was on one of her European trips for work. We had a great time, but I didn't remember much of the city besides it being beautiful and having a lot of castles, and having fun with HER. This time, I took lots of pictures and got to see the city a little bit more, since I remembered vaguely where I was this time around.

Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year

May 20, 2011
Prague, Czech Replublic

To the Board and Trustees of The Dallas Opera, Jonathan Pell, and the patrons of The Dallas Opera:

I am thrilled to accept The Dallas Opera’s Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award. Singing in my hometown has been a dream of mine since I first decided to follow opera as a vocation. This award means so much to me, and is the culmination of years of hard work. It is extremely gratifying to have that work so appreciated, and for this I heartily thank the Dallas patrons who voted for me and Jonathan Pell at The Dallas Opera for inviting me to sing this beautiful role.

I would also like to thank my parents and sister, who pushed me from the very beginning to develop my passions and talent, and who have always been spectacularly supportive of my career.

My first experience of live opera was at age 10 at The Dallas Opera at Fair Park Music Hall. I spent my teens attending shows there with student discount tickets, sometimes coming to see the same show numerous times. This opera company has a profound effect on this city, and made an indelible mark on me as a young music student. As a Dallas native, having sung in choirs at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church and Highland Park High School and having studied voice at SMU, I think I am singularly qualified to know firsthand what this award signifies. I am mindful of the roster of names that I join here.

I still remember the late Joan Sutherland’s last Vilja Lied on The Dallas Opera stage while I was at SMU; I count myself fortunate to have been a misty-eyed witness to her farewell. I hope you, as the Board and Trustees, understand the importance The Dallas Opera has on the many lives the Opera touches. The caliber of singing at The Dallas Opera has always been sensational; I realize the competition I had for the Debut Artist of the Year Award this year alone. Consequently, I am deeply touched and honored that you are bestowing on me this award bearing the name of my biggest operatic idol, Maria Callas.

My only regret is that I cannot be there in person to accept this award: I am singing concerts with the San Francisco Symphony on tour in Europe this week and next. I would love it if you could entrust this award into the safekeeping of my parents, Linda and Larry Claycomb until they can bring it to me in Italy this summer; they deserve it as much as I do, with all the nurturing they have given me and my singing over the years.

It certainly takes a village to produce a great artist, and that village has been my beloved Dallas. A Texas-sized “Thank You” to you all for awarding me this prestigious distinction!

Sincerely,
Laura Claycomb