ABOUT

Claire Coolen, Soprano

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Claire Coolen is an accomplished soprano who earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music and Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City.

Her artistry has garnered multiple accolades, including the Grand Prix at the 2024 Byulbyul International Vocalists Competition in Baku, Azerbaijan, and first place along with the audience prize at the 2018 Cappuccilli-Patané-Respighi competition in Alessandria, Italy. Critics have praised her for her "gorgeous voice with impressive control," "crystalline timbre," and "powerful stage presence."

Claire’s notable roles include Violetta in La Traviata with the Shaanxi Grand Opera Theatre in Xi’an, China, and with the National Theatre in Belgrade, Serbia, where she also captivated audiences as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor and Mimì in La Bohème. She portrayed Liù in Turandot at the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago. Claire has sung Gilda in Rigoletto in Tampa, Florida, and in various cities across Italy. In November 2024, she is set to return to China to debut as Zerlina in Don Giovanni at the Shanghai Opera House.

Other roles across North America and Europe include Marie in La fille du Régiment, Musetta in La Bohème, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Soeur Constance in Dialogues des Carmélites, Pamina and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Dorinda in Orlando, and the Governess in The Turn of the Screw, for which she received the Royal Bank of Canada Award for Excellence. In contemporary opera, she has portrayed Hannah in Martin Bresnik’s My Friend's Story and Mrs. Winemiller in Lee Hoiby’s first-ever recording of Summer and Smoke, recognized as one of Opera News’s 2011 CDs of the year.

She has appeared on prominent radio shows such as WQXR in New York City and Rai 3's La barcaccia with Renata Scotto in Rome. Additionally, she starred as Musetta in the film The Bohemians, directed by José Luis Cortes and produced by Álvaro Domingo. Claire is currently based in Milan, Italy.

To see the complete list of the roles she has performed, as well as her upcoming commitments, please visit her Calendar page.