CLAIRE PENDLETON
SOPRANO

Claire Pendleton studied at UCL/Birkbeck College, where she received distinction in Opera Performance and was awarded an Ottakar Kraus Memorial Scholarship. She then gained a Postgraduate Diploma at Trinity College of Music, studying with Wendy Eathorne and Geoffrey Pratley; winning several scholarships including the Ricordi Opera Prize and Beatrice Taylor Memorial Scholarship.

Whilst at college Claire sang as Madame Lidoine (Dialogue of the Carmelites), at Spitalfields Opera conducted by Andrea Quinn and received critical acclaim for the British fully staged premiere and the title role of Barber’s Vanessa, at the Bloomsbury Theatre conducted by Gregory Rose. Claire also performed in a masterclass for pianist & singer, with Julius Drake in the Holywell Music Room as part of the Oxford Lieder Festival. 

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Since leaving college, operatic roles have included a Nurse in Perfect American, Tetka (Jenufa) and Giulia cover (Gondoliers), Lakme soprano (On the Town), Vendor & Young Woman (Kismet) for English National Opera, Mimi & Musetta (La Boheme) for ENO’s Baylis Programme and Mabel & Gianetta for ENO Friends evening, Anna Bolenafor Swansea City Opera, Rusalka for ‘I Maestri’ at St.John's Smith Square and Opera Box, First Lady (Magic Flute), for Opera Project and Opera à la Carte, Helmwige cover (Die Walküre) for Northern Wagner Orchestra, Aminta (Schweigsame Frau) for Garsington Opera Educational Project, Anna (Nabucco) at Blackheath Concert Halls, Mimi (La Boheme), Countess Almaviva (Marriage of Figaro), Michaela (Carmen) and Queen of The Night (Magic Flute). Gilbert & Sullivan roles include Yum-Yum, Rose Maybud, Celia, Gianetta and Fiametta along with Frasquita (Carmen), Madame Silberklang (Schauspieldirektor) and High Priestess (Aida).

Recently with English National Opera, Claire has sung the roles of Solo Woman in Puccini’s Turandot, Old Woman in Alexander Raskatov’s A Dog’s Heart, Suburban Mum in Nico Muhly’s opera Two Boys, Tetka in Janacek's Jenufa and off stage voices for Detlev Glanert’s Caligula. She also covered Berta (The Barber of Seville), Janis Kelly in the role of Walt Disney's love interest, the Nurse, in Phillip Glass' The Perfect American, Mrs Naidoo in Philip Glass’ Satyagraha, a Flower Maiden in Wagner’s Parsifal & Solo Woman in Thebans by Julian Anderson.

Claire has performed in many venues around the UK, France, Netherlands, Italy & South Africa. She has recorded the role of Blush of Morning, in Arthur Sullivan’s Rose of Persia, with the Hanover Band, which is now released on the CPO label. She has also recorded for Chandos, BBC TV and BBC Music Magazine. 

Claire’s oratorio experience includes Handel’s Messiah at Greenwich Naval Chapel in the presence of HRH Princess Royal, a performance in the Palace of Westminster, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Bardi Orchestra and with the Oxford Philomusica at the Sheldonian Theatre, Mahler’s Eighth Symphony with the Wolsey Orchestra, Bach Cantata 124 at Guildford Cathedral, Bach’s Mass in B Minor at St John’s Smith Square with the Brooke Street Band, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the West Sussex Philarmonic, Mozart’s Requiem with Oxford Philomusica at Christchurch Cathedral, Haydn’s Creation, Brahm’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Faure’s Requiem, Haydn’s Stabat Mater, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Verdi Requiem at Portsmouth Cathedral, Enfield Choral Societ & East Herts Guild of Singers. 

She has sung session & concert work, for London Voices, with Nigel Kennedy at Glastonbury, the Classical Brit Awards with Andrea Boccelli, Sarah Brightman, Rusell Watson, Hatley Westenra and again with Nigel Kennedy, all for Southwark Voices; Songs of Praise with Katherine Jenkins & Aled Jones, Sunday Night at the London Palladium with Bruce Forsythe and also performed on The Parkinson show with Luciano Pavarotti. She has studied with the distinguished soprano Marie McLaughlin.

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Claire is a member of the English National Opera.

In the 2017-2018 season, Claire covered two major roles for the company; as Lesley Garrett's cpver as Mrs Rutland in the world premiere of Nico Muhly's opera 'Marnie' and the role of Mrs Naidoo in Philip Glass' opera, Satyagraha. In 2019, Claire also covered the role of Maud in Iain Bell's new opera 'Jack the Ripper - Women of Whitechapel' - also at ENO - shadowing legendary English Opera Star, Dame Josephine Barstow in the world premiere performances of the opera.  Claire was delighted to make her principal debut in the role of Laura, in Verdi's long neglected opera 'Luisa Miller' for English National Opera in March 2020.

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