Derrick Lawrence (foto YouTube) viel me bij het slotconcert van ECOV 1991 een beetje tegen, omdat hij tijdens de lessen zelf een veel betere indruk maakte. Het bestand zijn tegen de zenuwen maakt natuurlijk integraal deel uit van de uitbouw van een zangcarrière.
En blijkbaar heeft hij die zenuwen overwonnen, want hij heeft een geweldige carrière uitgebouwd. Guest performances took him to Philadelphia, Santa Fe, Dallas, the Charlotte Opera, the Piemond Opera, the Zurich Opera, the Opera North, the Stuttgart State Opera, the Budapest Opera, to London and Lucerne as well as to numerous festivals such as the Mainau Festival, the Cleveland Blossom Festival, the Aspen Music Festival and the Ludwigsburg Festival, the Miskolci Nemzetkozi Opera Festival and the Chaliaplin Festival in the Russian City of Kazan.
Of misschien had het ook hiermee te maken: in the early stages of his carreer, the native American sang mostly bass roles, but over a period of time, it became apparent that his strength lied in the portrayal of the dramatic baritone repertoire.
During his time as an Aachen ensemble member, the artist impressed audiences in parts like FIGARO, ARCESIUS in d’Albert’s ‚Die toten Augen’ or EUGEN ONEGIN, just to name a few. In seasons with the Freiburg Theatre, where he was in permanent engagement from 2002 until 2006, he achieved much success for his performances as ESCAMILLO, PIZZARO in Fidelio, MACBETH, the CONTE in Le nozze di Figaro, ALFIO and TALBOT in Maria Stuarda.
Moreover, he could be seen here as VILLAGE in the German premiere of Michael Levinas’ ‘Les Nègres’ and in the season 2006/2007 the singer enjoyed particular success performing WOTAN in Wagner’s Rheingold.
Baritone Derrick Lawrence received his musical education at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the renowned Julliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music. The artist was a prize winner in numerous international singing contests, rewarded among others with the Grace Bumbry Award, the Mario Lanza Award, the George London Award, the Sullivan Foundation Award, the Richard Tucker Jacobson study grant and the 2006 Zelt Prize for Oustanding Classsical Artists. Besides, in 1991 he wan the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Derrick Lawrence is also much sought-after on international stages as a concert singer. He has sung with most prestigious orchestras in the world, including the Symphony Orchestras of Munich, Nuremberg, Aachen and Saint Louis, the SWR and the NDR Radio Orchestra, the New York and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra and the The Cleveland Orchestra.
In 2005 the label Monsrecords published the CD ‚Bernstein-Gershwin Gala’ with a concert version of the Opera ‘Porgy and Bess’, where Derrick Lawrence sings the title role with the SWR Orchestra and David Stahl conducting. PORGY is one of his most-sung roles. Lately, he sung this very role in Lyon, Wiesbaden and in Switzerland with the Baden-Baden Symphony Orchestra. In spring 2014 he enjoyed huge success as PORGY in the new production at the Royal Opera Copenhagen. As PORGY he was equally successful at the end of 2014 in gala concerts at the State Opera Budapest.
dagelijks iets degelijks 