Claire as Lisette in Puccini's La rondine at Opera North, Autumn 2023

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Claire Lees was marvellously flighty as Lisette, the perfect soubrette, thoroughly enjoying herself in her coloratura and catching the eye on her every appearance.

 

Martin Dreyer. Opera. October 2023

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Lees brought strength and depth to the role of Lisette, more lyric than pure soubrette and allying this lyricism with a delightfully pert sense of character, creating a real Puccini heroine yet also evoking Adele from Die Fledermaus.

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Robert Hugill. Planet Hugill. October 2023

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Soprano Claire Lees was charmingly charismatic as the cheeky, smiling Lisette, Magda’s maid, her top notes particularly pure.

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Richard Wilcocks. Bachtrack. October 2023

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Claire as La Musica in Monteverdi's Orfeo at Garsington Opera, June/July 2022

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Claire Lees as La Musica, the spirit of Music, projects her fresh-toned soprano with narrative clarity.

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John Allison. The Telegraph. June 2022

 

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Claire Lees’ La Musica held the audience in the palm of her hand with her song, even the birds silent as the lines request.

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Melanie Eskenazi. Music OMH. June 2022

 

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There’s much excellent singing all round, however, particularly from Claire Lees, setting the scene as La Musica.

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Richard Morrison. The Times. June 2022

 

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Claire Lees, as La Musica, brilliantly introduced and initiated the musico-dramatic narrative, shaping each verse with distinct colour, pace and nuance.

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Claire Seymour. Opera Today. June 2022.

 

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 Claire Lees’ expressive personification of Music.

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George Hall. The Stage. June 2022

 

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Soprano Claire Lees, whose melodious introductory scene as Music was ravishing.

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Mark Valencia. Musical America. June 2022

 

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La Musica’s introductory aria, exquisitely sung by soprano Claire Lees.

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Clare Colvin. ReviewsGate. June 2022

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Claire as Adina in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore at Iford Arts, September 2019

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'....the ideal Adina: fun, flirtatious with a radiant smile and a soprano voice of great warmth and colour that rings brightly at the top'

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Jonathan Cross, Opera, November 2019

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Claire Lees portrayed the sassy but fickle Adina, her sound bright, her phrasing graceful.

 

Rian Evans, The Guardian, September 2019

 

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Adina (Claire Lees). In dungarees and a silk bandana, she makes light work of Donizetti’s rapid passages and top notes,

 

Amanda Holloway, The Stage, September 2019

 

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Lees hails from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with a vocal breadth and delivery that comes very close to stealing the show, nor is she any less proficient at acting. Country house operas are all about star-spotting and you don’t need a telescope for this one.

 

Rebecca Lipkin, Arbuturian, September 2019

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Claire as Oscar in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at Opera Holland Park, June 2019

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Claire Lees was a wonderfully sparky Oscar...........Lees was beautifully effortless in her coloratura whilst combining this with an impressive physicality.

 

Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill, June 2019

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Claire Lees as the ever-perky page boy combined pearly tone with sufficient

thrust to lead a big ensemble.

 

Yehuda Shapiro, Opera Magazine, June 2019

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Oscar was a bouncy bright-voiced Claire Lees

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David Buchler, Opera Spy, June 2019

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Claire in recital at the Wigmore Hall for Independent Opera, October 2018.

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Claire Lees crystal clear soprano has bags of power and sparkles at the top

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Anthony Evans, Planet Hugill, October 2018

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Claire as Soeur Constance in Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmelites at Guildhall School, February 2018

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Claire Lees captured Sister Constance’s gaiety and unpretentious spiritual vision.

 

Claire Seymour, Opera Today, February 2018

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Claire Lees is ideal casting as Sister Constance........getting to the core of Constance’s simple religious convictions.

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Peter Reed, Classical Source, February 2018

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Claire as Pamina in Mozart's The Magic Flute at Iford Arts, July 2016

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Claire Lees is the discovery of the evening.....Lees has wonderful pluck and dignity, looks like a young Julianne Moore and manages all the difficult phrases, above all in Pamina's lament, to radiant perfection.......she'll make a radiant Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier and her Pamina would already grace any stage.

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David Nice, The Art's Desk, July 2016

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Claire Lees' superb Pamina is both girlish and gutsy, her soprano supple, smooth and clean in a performance which does not falter or hesitate.

 

Charlotte Valori, Bachtrack, July 2016

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