Lauren Armishaw

Biography

Soprano Lauren Armishaw (1978) was born in New Zealand, where she completed a Music Degree in Singing and a Science Degree in Mathematics and at Victoria University in Wellington.  Moving to The Netherlands in 2002 she studied with Rita Dams, Jill Feldman, Michael Chance and Diane Forlano at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague.  In 2007 she graduated with a Master's (cum laude) in Early Music. Since then she has been coached by Peter Harrison.

Lauren is regularly engaged as a soloist for both baroque and classical music, working with choirs and orchestras throughout Europe. As an oratorio soloist she regularly sings Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St Matthew & St. John Passions, Monteverdi’s Vespers as well as music by Mozart, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Faure and 20th century composers.  She also enjoys exploring the vast repertoire of lesser known composers. Recent performances include as Maria in L. Vinci’s Maria Dolorata (Rome) and Amor Celeste in G. Bononcini’s La Maddalena a piedi di Cristo (Antwerp).

Lauren has worked with conductors Jos van Veldhoven, Christina Pluhar, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Peter van Heyghen and Sigiswald Kuijken, among others.  She is frequently engaged by Les Muffatti (Belgium), L’Arpeggiata (France), The Netherlands Bach Society, Corale Jonia (Italy) and Auckland Choral Society (NZ). She also performs regularly with her own trio Lacrime Amorose (soprano/baroque harp/theorbo).  

A specialist in early opera, Lauren has sung a variety of roles including Laodice in Handel’s Siroe: Ré di Persia, Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Venere in Cavalli's Ercole Amante (Festival d'Ambronay) and Clori in Handel's Il Delirio Amoroso (Handel Festival, Karlsruhe).  Her interest in unknown operas led her to discover Lanciani's Il Martirio di S. Eustachio which she edited herself and sang the role of Teopiste at Festival Music Sacra Maastricht 2008.  Further research into Lanciani’s music has unearthed several more works which Lauren is keen to perform in the future.

In 2008 Lauren was a finalist in both the International Sacred Music Competition in Rome (gaining a place in the ensemble Celeste Armonia) and the International Baroque Singing Competition in Naples.  She has performed in many festivals including Roma Festival Barocco in Italy, Drôme des Collines Festival in France, Tanglewood Festival in America and at Early Music Festivals in The Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain.

CD recordings include Vater Unser with Musica Amphion & Gesualdo Consort (Lyrone Records), Folksongs, Carols and Hymns with deJongdeJong-plus (WestraMedia), Bach’s Mass in B Minor with The Netherlands Bach Society (Channel Classics), Monteverdi Sacred Music with Roberto Gini (Dynamic), Cavalieri’s Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo (Alpha) and Monteverdi’s Teatro d’Amore (Virgin Classics) with L’Arpeggiata and works by Rosengart with Orpheus Vokalensemble and Ars Antiqua Austria (Carus-Verlag).  Live perfomances have been broadcast on Radio 4 in The Netherlands, Musiq 3 & Klara in Belgium and Radio New Zealand.