Claire Bournez
French-born mezzo-soprano, Claire Bournez graduated in 2105 from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama where she studied under Janice Chapman (Masters with Distinction). She returned to The Guildhall School as a fellow in 2015-2016. She previously studies in the High School of Lausanne (Haute Ecole de Musique) with Christian Immler, and in the CNSMD (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse) in Lyon.
A Britten-Pears and Franz Schubert Institute Artist, Claire is regularly enhancing her education by participating in masterclasses e.g. with Bernarda Fink, Thomas Quasthoff, Graham Johnson, Elly Ameling or Emma Kirkby. Having sung in such venues as Barbican Hall, la Salle Pleyel, Bruxelles Bozar, Dijon Opéra, Reims Opéra and Poitiers Opéra, she appeared as Proserpina (L'Orfeo by Monteverdi conducted by Leonardo Alarcòn, October 2013) as a soloist of the Ambronay European baroque academy tour. She performed Nisa (La Morte d'Orfeo by Stefano Landi) in the Abbaye de Royaumont with Christophe Rousset (October 2017). She covered a role in Psychosis 4.48 created by P. Venables at Royal Opera House (March 2015) and originated the role of Boulier in the Opera Evariste, performed at the Tête-a-Tête contemporary London music festival in July 2015. During her studies, she performed Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Dryade (Ariadne auf Naxos), Xerxes (Xerxes), Tirinto (Imeneo by Händel), Dorothée (Cendrillon), Dryade (Ariadne auf Naxos), Dritte Magd (Elektra) – opera scenes.
Her concert experience includes the alto solo part in Haydn's Creation with the London Symphony Orchestra at St Paul's Cathedral conducted by Edward Gardner (2015), her role within the soloist choir in Berlioz's Romeo et Juliette under the direction of Valery Gergiev with the LSO at the Barbican Hall and salle Pleyel (2013), and solo performance in A Mass for Peace by Karl Jenkins at L'Equilibre in Fribourg (2012). Claire has experience of performing throughout Europe, giving regular recitals in France, England, Switzerland and Austria. She sang Zefka in Janáček's Diary of one who disappeared, with Toby Spence and Julian Milford in London and Wardsbrook festival (2015). Baroque recitals include performances with La Compagnie des violons du roy, Les Traversées baroques, with the harpsichordist Yves Reichsteiner and the violinist Odile Edouart.
Her studies have been generously supported by Foundations Colette Mosetti, Jost, Williamson, Guildhall Trust, Shirley Ellis and Franz-Schubert-Institute.