Company Will Mount New Production With Lauryn Davis Singing the Title Role
This Saturday, January 25, at the CAPA Theater, Pittsburgh Opera will present the first local performance of Joseph Haydn’s best known work, Armida. Even the composer considered it his best work. Singing the title role will be Resident Artist Lauryn Davis, in her company debut. Ms. Davis recently was named a District Winner at the Tennessee District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.
As he always does, Chris Cox, Director of Marketing and Communications for Pittsburgh Opera, kindly took time out of his hectic schedule to interview Ms. Davis exclusively for onStage Pittsburgh. And here’s the interview –
Chris Cox:
Welcome Lauryn! Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and how you found your way to Pittsburgh Opera?
Lauryn Davis:
I’m from Atlanta, Georgia. I started studying opera in high school. I went to Kennesaw State for my undergrad. I graduated during Covid, unfortunately, took a gap year, and then went to CCM [University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music] for my Master’s. I graduated in April 2024, then I auditioned for Pittsburgh Opera, and they gave me a call.
C C:
What did you do during your gap year?
L D:
I taught group piano lessons to kids from Kindergarten through second grade. I taught the kids keys, and it was cute. It was through Fine Arts Matter
C C:
Sounds like a great experience. Armida is going to be your company stage debut, but obviously you’ve been doing other things with Pittsburgh Opera since you arrived here in the fall. What else have you been doing since you got here?
L D:
I studied and covered Nedda in Pagliacci. We’ve been doing a lot of runouts and singing engagements throughout the community, at retirement homes and Children’s Hospital and places like that. Our Holiday Song Shop concert was my favorite.
C C:
There was also a little something called the Laffont Competition that you entered over the holidays in Tennessee. Can you tell us about that?
L D:
Yes, I competed in the Metropolitan Opera competition, and I won the district in Knoxville, Tennessee, on January 4th. I’m really excited about that, to take the win and represent Pittsburgh Opera.
C C:
Congratulations! What is the next step in that process?
L D:
We move to Regionals, which is in Atlanta, my hometown, on February 9th. I’m so excited to go home and sing in front of my family and friends. If I win that round, then I go to the semifinals in New York. So, fingers crossed.
C C:
We’re all cheering for you, and it’s great that you’ll have the hometown crowd behind you. Tell us a little bit about your character in this opera, Armida. The show is named after her, so she must be important. Who is she?
L D:
Armida is a sorceress, she’s very powerful. She’s the niece of Idreno, the king of the Damascus. She doesn’t need a title to know that she has a lot of power and a lot of sway in the kingdom.
Armida casts a spell on Rinaldo, one of the crusaders that’s invading her kingdom. She ends up having a relationship with him. They eventually fall in love with each other.
C C:
Even though they’re supposed to be enemies?
L D:
Yes, they’re supposed to be enemies, because the crusaders are coming in to take over and to take down the kingdom. There’s a conflict of interest between Rinaldo and Armida. She casts a spell on him, and I don’t know what it is about Rinaldo, but he and Armida have something, like a kinship. Something attracts them to each other. They both cannot let each other go.
C C:
What is it like to play this character?
L D:
It’s expanding my comfort zone – I’m not used to playing a witch of any kind. I usually play the lovey-dovey characters. This singing is also very different for me; it’s been very fun to tap into that. And luckily, our stage director Haley Stamats has been encouraging and caring with me through this process.
C C:
What do you want to bring to this role?
L D:
I want to bring some depth, and I want to bring some relatability to Armida. Everyone can relate to love, and how love can really take us out, and both really bring us up and bring us really down. I want to bring that relatability. I want the audience to see that she’s just a girl who, though she’s a sorceress and she’s so powerful, is still a woman who falls in love with a man.
C C:
How are the rehearsals going?
L D:
Rehearsals are going really well. We’re moving right along; Haley’s been very clear and concise, and collaborative. It’s been fun to collaborate with the director, it’s been great.
C C:
Is this your first time singing in a Haydn opera?
L D:
Yes, this is my first Haydn as well. I haven’t sung a lot of early music, so this is the most I’ve tapped into it. And I like it. I’ve always liked early music, especially Jeanine De Bique, I love her.
C C:
What does the audience have to look forward to in this show?
L D:
Great singing, the set is really nice, and a really good story. I think the audience will enjoy the themes of the show, and get into the drama, and be on the edge of their seats.
C C:
What are some things that make this show particularly compelling?
L D:
The drama, and the way Haydn has set the music, and how the characters all respond to each other – the chemistry with everyone on set. We all get along very well, and it’s nice to actually see that magic through our characters.
I’m excited for people to see Armida. I’m excited to share the gift of music with others, and show Armida for who she is.
For further information, additional production details, and tickets, visit Pittsburgh Opera
David Bachman Photography for Pittsburgh Opera
Categories: Feature Stories, Our Posts, Show Previews
Leave a Reply Cancel reply