Artists

Biography:

Jennifer Larmore is an outstanding American mezzo-soprano who has parlayed operatic success in Europe into international stardom. Known for excelling in the coloratura roles of the Baroque and bel canto, she has also added Romantic and Contemporary music to her repertoire. Since the beginning of her career, Jennifer Larmore has recorded widely for the Teldec, RCA, Harmonia Mundi, Deutsche Grammophon, Arabesque, Opera Rara, Bayer, Naive, Chandos, VAI and Cedille labels in over seventy CDs to date, which has earned her the distinction of being the most recorded mezzo of all time.

Originally from Atlanta, Larmore studied with Dr. Robert McIver at the Westminster Choir College of Princeton, New Jersey and then privately with John Bullock and Regina Resnik. She made her professional debut in the l’Opera de Nice production of Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito in 1986. During the same period, Jennifer sang her first Rosina from the Barber of Seville in the Jerome Savary production of Strasbourg – her signature role which she has performed more than five hundred times. Her vocal talents, energetic acting, and natural beauty quickly established her as an emerging star and during the next decade she performed dozens of leading roles with major European houses to include the prestigious theaters of Paris, Vienna, London, Edinburgh, Rome, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Brussels, Amsterdam, Geneva, Milan, Buenos Aires and Salzburg.

In 1994 Larmore returned to the United States in a triumphant Carnegie Hall appearance as Romeo in Bellini’s I Capuletti e I Montecchi with the Opera Orchestra of New York and Eve Queler. This success was followed by winning the prestigious Richard Tucker award that same year, and a debut as Rosina at the Metropolitan Opera in 1995. Following that success she became a regular attraction at the Met, singing a wide range from Handel’s Giulio Cesare, Rossini’s, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola and l’Italiana in Algeri, Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann, Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, to the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy, and the upcoming Hamlet of Thomas.

With her frequent collaborator Antoine Palloc, she has made several international recital tours, including appearances in Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Vienna, London, San Juan, Prague, Melbourne, Brussels, Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, Lisbon, Sao Paolo, Athens and Copenhagen, as well as all the major American venues.

Symphonic repertoire plays a large role in her career with the works of Mahler, Schoenberg, Mozart, de Falla, Debussy, Berlioz and Barber featuring prominently. She has performed with international orchestras under the direction of Muti, Lopez-Cobos, Bernstein, Runnicles, Sinopoli, Masur, von Dochnanyi, Jacobs, Mackarras, Spinosi, Guidarini, Kalmar, Rudel, Barenboim, Queler, Bonynge, Maazel , Osawa and many others.

Jennifer Larmore’s Giulio Cesare on Harmonia Mundi received the Gramophone Award for Best Baroque Opera of the year. Among her seven Grammy nominations are L’Etoile, a collection of French opera arias; Call Me Mister, a celebration of mezzo-soprano trouser roles; Amore per Rossini, a trove of Rossini rarities (some never before recorded); My Native Land, a gathering of songs by American composers; Where Shall I Fly, featuring Handel and Mozart arias; Bravura Diva, a collection of rare bel canto masterworks; Jennifer Larmore in Performance, a companion CD to the popular DVD from Video Artists International (VAI); Jennifer Larmore, A Portrait, a collection of early works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods; Born In Atlanta, a CD of varied operatic and concert selections released to commemorate Miss Larmore’s appearance at the Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games. For Cedille she recorded four blockbuster pieces for Mezzo by Berlioz, Barber, Britten and Ravel for a CD entitled Royal Mezzo, over a two year period in live concert with Carlos Kalmer and the Grant Park Festival orchestra. Her newest CD is a highlights recording of Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri for Chandos with Brad Cohen conducting. Among the dozens of full operatic recordings are the title roles of Carmen, Elisabetta, Regina d’Inghilterra, La Cenerentola, L’Italiana in Algeri, Bianca e Falliero, Orphée, Giulio Cesare, Sofanisba and I Capulet e I Montechhi.

In 2004, Jennifer Larmore was the honored guest soloist in Washington, DC at the 35th Anniversary Celebration of the landing on the Moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts. A particularly unique venture was her satellite radio program, Backstage With Jennifer Larmore on which she proved herself to be a witty and insightful interviewer and commentator. In addition to her hosting many international airline Classical Listening programs, Miss Larmore is widely sought after to give Master Classes in prestigious national and international venues. She has appeared in numerous publications including, Vogue, Dog Fancy with her miniature schnauzer Sophie, Opera News, Opera, Opera International, German Vogue and Max, as well as on a variety of television programs around the world including Good Morning America, Breakfast with the Arts, the Classical Arts Showcase, the German Klassich, the French Jacques Martin, A cote du Chez Fred, and Musique au coeur; and for the UPN Network, The 30th Anniversary Star Trek Celebration.

In 2002, Madame Larmore was endowed with Knighthood by the French Government carrying the title Chevalier des arts et des lettres in recognition of her contributions to the world of music.

In humanitarian efforts, Miss Larmore’s charity of choice has been the American Fund for UNICEF. Her focus is to raise awareness of the plight of under privileged children and she often speaks and sings in this worthy cause. In addition to her many activities, travels, performances and causes, author Jennifer Larmore is working on books that will bring a wider public to the love of opera.

Jennifer’s upcoming 2013-14 schedule finds her singing”Lady Macbeth”in Verdi’s Macbeth  in a new production  of Robert Wilson at Teatro Comunale in Bologna and in Reggio Emilia with Roberto Abbado conducting, a World Premiere of La Chute de Fukuyama- an Oratorio in 5 languages by Grégoire Hetzel and Camille de Toldeo with Daniel Harding conducting at Salle Pleyel, Paris; a recital with her long time accompanist, Antoine Palloc at the Musée D’Orsay;  Her first “Eboli” in the French four act version version of Verdi’s Don Carlos at the Caramoor Festival with Will Crutchfield;  the role of “Jocasta” in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex at the Bard Music Festival;  A Concert of the Berg Seven Early Songs  and Ravel’s Shéhérazade for the Québec Symphony Orchestra with Fabien Gabel;  Concerts of Wagner’s  Wesendonck Lieder  also with Fabien Gabel for the  Festival de La côte Saint André; “Queen Gertrude” in Thomas’ Hamlet for La Monnaie, Brussels with Marc Minkowski; A concert version of the title role of Carmen in Moscow; Concerts with the Basel Kammerorchester of Offenbach favorites, Philippe Bach conducting; The role of “Kostelnicka” in Jenufa at the Deutsche Oper Berlin with Donald Runnicles; Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with Sir Roger Norrington at Notre Dame, Paris and La Belle Hélène in Hamburg.

Miss Larmore, in collaboration with the double bass player Davide Vittone has created a new ensemble called Jennifer Larmore and OpusFive. The three programs they offer are entertaining and varied with Songs and Arias, Cabaret/Operetta and Movies and Broadway which feature string quintet and voice. To date, they have appeared  in Mallorca, Menorca, Seville, Pamplona, Valencia, Las Palmas, Venice, Paris, Amiens and Aix en Provence.

In addition to her many activities, travels, performances and causes, author Jennifer Larmore is working on books that will bring a wider public to the love of opera!