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The New Zealander mezzo-sopreano and singing teacher, Claire Barton, obtained her Bachelor of Arts with Honours, Bachelor of Music with Honours, Master of Music in English, History, Performance Voice from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand (1999-2008); and her Postgraduate Artist Diploma Performance Voice with Distinction from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music in London, UK (2011-2012).
Claire Barton made her professional debut in the role of Mrs Slender in Salieri’s Falstaff with Opera Otago at the age of 25. Other performances in Opera and Musical Theatre include Carlotta in The Phantom of the Opera for Musical Theatre Dunedin, Mad Margaret in Ruddygore for The Really Authentic Gilbert and Sullivan Performance Trust, Mrs Partlet in The Sorcerer with the Oxbridge Opera Company and The Contralto in The Little Box of Opera’s production of The Four Note Opera. In her final year of study at Otago she was a finalist in the Lexus Song Quest in 2007, and in the same year she won the Otago Daily Times Aria, the Nelson Sealord Aria and the Wellington Regional Aria. She was twice runner-up in the New Zealand Aria Contest (2007 and 2010). She was named a 2008-2009 Emerging Artist with New Zealand Opera where she sang the role of Aunt in Jenufa and understudied the role of Zulma in L’Italiana in Algeri.
In 2011, Claire Barton moved to London to study at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. As well as enjoying a diverse range of performance experiences, she was also a member of the first team from Trinity Laban to appear on University Challenge. Performances in the UK include Mrs Partlett in The Sorcerer with Oxbridge Opera Company, the composite role of Lady in Blackheath Halls Community Opera's production of The Adventures of Count Ory and Moon and Chorus in British Youth Opera’s production of Paul Bunyan. Recent performances in New Zealand include alto solos in George Frideric Handel’s Messiah (Ashburton and Timaru) and J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) (City Choir Dunedin), the mezzo solo in L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (Dunedin Symphony Orchestra), the alto solo in J.S. Bach’s Magnificat (BWV 243) (Christchurch Symphony Orchestra), Third Lady in W.A. Mozart's The Magic Flute (Opera Otago), The Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas, and Apollonia in La Canterina, (The Little Box of Operas). She sang the alto solos in Maurice Duruflé's Requiem and G.F. Handel's Messiah for City Choir Dunedin later in 2017. In 2016, she was Convenor of the Dunedin Junior Vocal Competition for singers aged under 18 the Dunedin Performing Arts Competitions Society.
Recent performances include the alto solos in W.A. Mozart's Requiem (Christchurch City Choir), G.F. Handel's Messiah (Nelson) and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater (Port Chalmers and Invercargill). She made a cameo appearance in Rainbow Rosalind meets the Orchestra and in December sang the role of Mother/Grandmother in Seymour Barrab’s Little Red Riding Hood for Opera Otago.
Claire Barton is passionate about the importance of engaging children and adults in the art of classical singing. Alongside a busy performance diary, she runs a private singing studio in Dunedin and is convenor of the Dunedin Junior Vocal Competition. She is also a committee member of The Little Box of Operas, and last year (2018) became a member of the council of the New Zealand Association of Teachers of Singing (NEWZATS). |
