REVIEWS
"Claire de Sévigné captivates with an exemplary, unaffected and flawless opaque coloratura"
- Badische Zeitung, Zürich
Nachtigall in Die Vögel by Braunfels
with Pacific Opera Victoria
"There are numerous scenes of breath-taking beauty. Coloratura soprano Claire de Sévigné, who plays the Nightingale, dominates many of these. We meet her rising slowly through the air in a black sequined costume with a plumed headdress — a celestial entering a world of melancholy. On opening night de Sévigné looked like some mysterious apparition from the 1920s — and her singing was enchanting. The Nightingale song tips its beak to Mozart’s trilling Queen of the Night aria. Birdlike in nature, it’s replete with treacherously difficult high notes. de Sévigné navigated this with aplomb, revealing a clear and lustrous timbre."
-Times Colonist by Adrian Chamberlain, February 2023
“From top to bottom, the large cast of principals was top-notch. In particular, soprano Claire de Sévigné was an elegant Nightingale with a precise, beautiful upper-range.”
-Opera Canada by Robin Miller February 2023
"Soprano Claire de Sévigné as the Nightingale appears in an LED-lit nest in the sky wearing a black glitter dress and feathered, sparkling headdress, with whimsy and glamour to spare. de Sévigné’s performance was ethereal and lovely. With a fuller, more mature sound that has maintained all of its agility and height, she soared effortlessly in lengthy, dazzling coloratura over ensembles, duets, and choruses with incredible skill."
-Schmopera by Melissa Ratcliff, February 2023
Solveig in Peer Gynt by Grieg
with the Opéra de Lyon
"The audience salutes the performance of Canadian soprano Claire de Sévigné en Solveig, whose role includes both substantial dialogue and sung passages – in French, translated by Pascal Hild and Jean Spenlehauer. Her famous Chanson is interpreted with finesse, with a long silky legato that culminates in dazzling highs attacked without vibrato. On the Berceuse finale, she deploys the warmth of her medium, to accompany Peer Gynt in his last moments."
- Olyrix by Pierre Giangiobbe, June 2022
“The second most remarkable element is the Canadian soprano Claire de Sévigné, as fine as she is delicious in Solveig, whose control of the singing line is a model.”
- Concerto Net by Emmanuel Andrieu, June 2022
"The two arias of Solveig are well rendered by the sensitive voice of Claire de Sévigné"
- Baronne Samedi, June 2022
"For Solveig, shaped by generally stratospheric interpretations, Claire de Sévigné, very introspective, constrains the vibrato of her dark soprano to a noble emotion."
- ResMusica by Jean Luc Clariet, June 2022
Adele in Die Fledermaus by J. Strauss
with the Opéra de Rennes, Nantes, Angers
"Starting with the sunny voice and the voracious presence of the soprano Claire de Sévigné, the ideal incarnation of the young Adèle, a maid with more than one trick in her bag and a vocalization in her throat! As soon as she enters Act 1, we can tell what a delicious journey the spectator will take with her company. Impression largely confirmed later, during a sparkling musical and choreographic number against a background of feather duster and fans."
-La Croix, June 2021
“The revelation of the evening is the Canadian Claire de Sévigné who embodies an Adèle of great chic, combining freshness and virtuosity, impeccable virtuosity in Mein Herr Marquis.”
-Resmusica, June 2021
"For her part, the young coloratura soprano Claire de Sévigné (Adele) possesses the vocal brilliance and the stage presence demanded by her part, notably in the 'laughter' scene."
-Opera Online, May 2021
"Yet it is the Canadian Claire de Sévigné who shines there with the liveliest brilliance: her Adele boasts a superb timbre, a remarkable intelligence of vocalization as well as of legato."
- Opera Forum, May 2021
"This role devolved to the Canadian coloratura soprano Claire de Sévigné will undoubtedly be our little crush as she dominates her instrument, wandering with ease in the middle of dizzying highs, using the ornaments allowed by her role casually but without error, she is pure pleasure on her own"
-Le Web Culturel Breton, May 2021
"In the role of Adele, Claire de Sévigné deploys her light soprano with apparent ease and youthful charm. The voice is seamless throughout the range with clear, round highs and a beautifully crafted vocal line."
- Première Loge Opera, May 2021
"Claire de Sévigné stands out in the agility of vocalizations"
-Classique News, May 2021
"Adèle, the servant, is interpreted by the soprano Claire de Sévigné. Her clear, pure, agile voice finds all its expressiveness in the aria "My Herr Marquis".”
-Actualités Ôlyrix, May 2021
Blonde in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail
with the Grand Théâtre de Genéve
"Blondchen is brilliantly sung by Claire de Sévigné"
- La Croix, January 2020
"Claire de Sévigné as Blondchen is a true revelation...Her voice as well as her acting is admirable. She is young, assertive, has an ideal timbre for the role, fresh and fruity, rebellious and with her top notes sounding easy and elegant and with the expected malice. “Welche Wonne” is convincing. One to follow."
- Forum Opéra, Yvan Beuvard, January 2020
"Even the outbursts of Blondchen - "Welche Wonne, welche Lust " and "Durch Zärtlichkeit und Schmeicheln“ - are impressively performed in almost desperate loneliness."
- Deutschland Funkkultur, January 2020
"As for the soprano Claire de Sévigné (Blondchen), her ethereal highs form an indisputable charm"
- ResMusica, Jacques Schmitt, January 2020
"The role of Blonde by Claire de Sévigné is equipped with a light soprano and spirited character."
- Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Thomas Schacher, January 2020
"de Sévigné's singing is blackbird-clear and silvery."
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Kerstine Holm, January 2020
Phani in Rameau's Les Indes Galantes
with the Grand Théâtre de Genéve
"The soprano Claire de Sévigné (Phani) captures the auditorium with a very touching “Viens hymen”."
- RESMusica, Jacques Schmitt, December 2019
"The red thread between the four worlds lets beauty shine through at some moments, such as "Viens hymen”, suddenly stripped of all artifices (Claire de Sévigné, touching as Phani standing on a bed)"
– Le Temps, Sylvie Bonier, December 2019
"Claire de Sévigné succeed as Phani with melting sounds in her fine and tender aria “Viens hymen”."
- Dreh Punkt Kultur, Oliver Schneider, December 2019
"The coveted Princess, Phani (Claire de Sévigné), plays on restraint, clarity and vocal finesse."
- Olyrix, Charles Arden, December 2019
Mozart Matinee with the Salzburg Festival
Conducted by Raphaël Pichon
“Claire de Sévigné's tender, and surely projected coloraturas were quite intriguing.”
- Salzburger Nachrichten, August 2019
"A palpably sincere early canzonetta from Claire de Sévigné."
- Seen and heard international, August 2019
Blonde in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail
with the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland
“Claire de Sévigné ia a wonderfully sparkling Blonde, a funny and idyllic image of a Western woman. The sound is agile and beautiful, and the character is delicious! ”
- Itä-Savo News July 2019
Venus in Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre
with the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg
“The performance of coloratura soprano Claire de Sévigné as Venus is not only striking and special, because she occasionally sings to her murderous coloratura colleague previously mentioned. No, it's because these coloraturas seem to spill out of her easily, yet they do not stop her from being ravishingly funny.”
-Das Open Magazin, May 2019.
Carmina Burana with the
Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago
"Claire de Sévigné’s lovely, refined voice made “In Trutina” the ethereal centerpiece it should be... The Canadian soprano displayed surprising reserves of vocal power and flexibility, with a stunning attack on the stratospheric coloratura of the penultimate “Dulcissime.”
- Chicago Classical Review, Lawrence A. Johnson, August 2018.
“Carmina Burana” depends on the strengths of its vocal soloists as well, and in this regard soprano Claire de Sevigne created the most rapturous moments of the night, by far. In “Stetit puella,” her exquisitely shaped tones and radiant upper-register singing very nearly made you forget the orchestral-choral tempests that preceded her. The high notes she floated in “In trutina” and the melodic ornamentation she articulated in the stratosphere of her instrument in “Dulcissime” were serenity incarnate."
-Chicago Tribune, Howard Reich, August 2018.
Blonde in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail
with the Canadian Opera Company
“That de Sévigné still managed to win us over ... with her perfectly-placed high soprano and naturally sunny stage manner.”
- Opera Canada, Gianmarco Segato, February 2018.
“Soprano Claire de Sévigné (Blondchen) offered her customary crystalline tone, her stratospheric top clear as a bell.”
- Ludwig Van Toronto, Joseph So, February 2018.
“...Soprano Claire de Sévigné in the devilishly tricky role of Blonde. Her bright, agile, and free sound was a scene stealer, not to mention her plucky characterization. Blonde was feisty but still loveable.”
- Schmopera, Greg Finney, February 2018
“Claire de Sévigné was charmingly effervescent in the role of sassy lady’s maid Blonde...Her nimble soubrette coloratura soared like a carefree bird through the intricate passages and shimmering high notes of Durch Zärtlichkeit und Schmeicheln.”
- Mooney on Theater, February 2018.
The Fiakermilli in Strauss's Arabella
with the Canadian Opera Company
"This high, coloratura showpiece of a role was sung with secure, pointed tone—and not a hint of the dominatrix—by former COC soprano Claire de Sévigné."
-Opera Canada, Gianmarco Segato, October 2017
"One of the many highlights of the evening, Claire de Sévigné's marvelous, light coloratura as The Fiakermilli was a welcome variation in sound."
- Broadway World, October 2017
"...former COC Ensemble soprano Claire de Sévigné a standout as Fiakermilli... Kudos to de Sévigné who managed to make the role come alive."
- Ludwig Van Toronto, Joseph So, October 2017
"...de Sévigné looked stunning, navigated the ridiculous coloratura with apparent ease and was obviously having fun dominating the male guests at the ball."
- Opera Ramblings, October 2017
“Claire de Sévigné stole the show when she entered the stage...her colouratura was breathtaking, with incredible agility in the melismas and high notes that were clear and sailing and sparkling. She's turning heads on world stages and it's not hard to see why.”
- Schmopera, Greg Finney, October 2017
"A nice surprise is Claire de Sévigné, whose brief performance as party girl Milli is a delight, her pure coloratura as sparkling as her presence."
- Toronto Now, Glenn Sumi, October 2017
“Soprano Claire de Sévigné overcame the vocal and dramatic challenges, delivering a performance of substantial charm.”
- Partette, Li Kashani, October 2017
"... de Sévigné’s clear and skilled coloratura soprano brilliantly plays against the staging of the scene... Her commanding stage presence demonstrates the power women possess in the show, and reaffirms the outstanding vocal technique of the soprano roles in Arabella.”
- The Strand, Georga Lin, October 2017
Hermione in Trojan's Orest
with Opernhaus Zürich
"Claire de Sévigné captivates with an exemplary, unaffected and flawless opaque coloratura and gives this figure tremendous credibility."
-Badische Zeitung, Alexander Dick, February 2017
"Bright as a bell soprano voice from Claire de Sévigné"
- Neue Musikzeitung, Georg Rudiger, February 2017
"Light, bright, bird-like singing, from the coloratura soprano Claire de Sévigné as Hermione, who mastered the overly challenging and difficult large interval jumps."
-Oper Aktuell, Kaspar Sannemann, February 2017
"The young Canadian soprano startled with the breadth of her range, and her silvery voice and ballerina-like costume made the perfect delicate counterpart to the wight of the other characters"
-Bachtrack, Sarah Batschelet, February 2017
Blonde in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail
with Opernhaus Zürich
“The young soprano Claire de Sévigné integrates her role as Blonde with brilliance. The voice is deliberately fragile. It ensures the treble with a lightness and a transparent finesse. The intentions and rebellious expressions are mastered by the singer, who embodies a Blonde sometimes petty but also sensitive and cute.”
-Olyrix, Marjorie Cabrol, November 2016
“The soprano Claire de Sévigné depicts a spicy Blondchen, borrowing little energy from a bland romanticism. Her vocal flexibility and the intense clarity with which she approaches the character of Blondchen reveals all her independence... Very expressive and able to execute high ornate treble, Claire de Sévigné seems to fully flourish in this role.”
-Bachtrack, Maeva Da Cruz, November 2016
“Claire de Sevigné is a very vocally convincing Blonde...She is exciting in her two arias and impressive in her Duet with Osmin, especially in unexpected bass.”
-Operaphile Blog, November 2016
Angelica in Haydn's Orlando Paladino
with Opernhaus Zürich
"The role of Angelica was performed with distinction by Canadian coloratura soprano Claire de Sévigné... de Sévigné was an arresting presence as the self-absorbed Angelica, impressive from her enchanting first aria Palpita ad ogni istante through her introspective final act aria Dell’estreme sue voci dolenti."
- Opera Warhorses, May 2016
" First there is Canadian Claire de Sévigné as Queen Angelica, whose beautiful sounding, precise, endless breath-full phrasing brings out the expressiveness and depth of Haydn's music in a touching and sparkling way through her brilliant high coloratura."
- Herbert Battier, Wintherthur News, May 2016
"Claire de Sévigné allowed us to take a full bath in her self inflicted heartache, full of fervour, which was demonstrated in the extensive and highly demanding coloratura."
- Simone Bittermann, Bündner Tagblatt News May 2016
"An exceptional vocal contribution was delivered by the Canadian soprano Claire de Sévigné as Angelica."
- Alessandro Anghinoni, Place de L'Opera Magazine, May 2016
The Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute
with the Opera Theater of St. Louis
"Claire de Sévigné as a striking Queen of the Night"
- Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, June 2014
"Dispatched the high-flown coloratura with laserlike precision and tonal beauty."
- Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, June 2014
"There's nothing silly, though, about Canadian de Sévigné's soaring soprano, which defies belief while you hear her crisply and deliberately pierce a series of singular notes in the Queen's aria, Hell's Vengeance Boils in My Heart (English translation)....In her OTSL debut de Sévigné possesses the show's best voice"
- Mark Bretz, laudenews.com, June 2014
"Grand and glamorous she masters the role. Her vengeance aria is full of those amazing coloratura fireworks that dance among the scattered notes with laser-like precision."
- Opera World, May 2014
"The vocal marvel of the night, who received sustained ovations after each of her major arias, was Claire de Sévigné, dashing off her precision coloratura cadenzas with seeming effortlessness, with excursion into the stratosphere of notes above high C."
- Opera Warhorse, May 2014
Despina in Mozart's Così Fan Tutte
with the Canadian Opera Company
"de Sévigné is a coloratura soprano with bite. Her voice may have the quick mercury of her fach, but nonetheless, it produces a sound that is much more than feather light, and therefore, more interesting."
- Paula Citron, February 2014
"Claire de Sévigné's Despina, the worldly-wise maid, was a perfect flirtatious meddler and a good comic actor, too, her soaring voice helping to define Despina's playfulness."
- Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine, February 2014
"Anchoring the piece were the Don Alphonso of Gordon Bintner and the Despina of Claire de Sévigné. Both were impressive.....Claire was in her element. She's a good comic actor and she made the most of her opportunities. The part sits nicely for her voice too and we got a very convincing Una donna a quindici anni with similar bite in In uomini, in soldati, sperare fedelta."
- John Gilks, February 2014
First Niece in Britten's Peter Grimes
with the Canadian Opera Company
"Soprano Claire de Sévigné excelled as the First Niece. Throughout the year she's been in the ensemble Studio this young woman has developed formidable mastery of adding small nuances to her gestures to make her presence noticeable without drawing attention away from where the action is centrally focused."
- Brian Hay, October 2013
Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte
with the Music Academy of the West
"The Queen of the Night is not strictly a comic role, but rather a genre-bending, mind-boggling piece of Mozartian musical mischief, and de Sévigné made splendid sense out of her notoriously difficult arias."
- Charles Donelan, Santa Barbara Independent, August 2013
"As a crowd-pleasing Queen of the night, Claire de Sévigné effectively projected the grandeur and indignation required by the role."
- Edmond Johnson, Opera News, August 2013
Servilia in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito
with the Canadian Opera Company
"de Sévigné made Servilia, usually a secondary role, a major player in this production: playful, flirtatious and with some of the sweetest singing in the cast."
- Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine, February 2013