Lorna McLean is a young dramatic soprano on the rise. She recently completed her studies on the Guildhall Opera Course and competed in the final of Guildhall's most prestigious award, the Guildhall School Gold Medal Award in the Barbican Hall. Lorna also studies at the renowned Institute for Young Dramatic Voices in Reno, Nevada as part of the American Wagner Project, a course specifically designed to support the continued training of outstanding young Wagnerian talent.

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Lorna's first professional contract will be a company and role role debut in Ireland as Suor Angelica with Wexford Festival Opera.

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Lorna completed her Masters of Performance at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama graduating with a distinction and Recital Diploma, awarded for an outstanding final recital. In 2018, Lorna graduated with a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours also from the Guildhall School.

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Recent performances include the title role of Savitri by Holst, Sister Rose in Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking in its London stage premier, Mariuccia (I due timidi, Rota) and Angélè (Der Zar lässt sich photographieren, Weill) all for Guildhall Opera. Outside of her accomplishments at Guildhall, Lorna has performed 2nd Noble Orphan and covered Marianne/Duenna  (Der Rosenkavalier, Strauss)  with Saffron Opera Group as well as Mother (Hansel and Gretel, Humperdinck) for British Youth Opera & Silent Opera at Opera Holland Park.  Other roles include Mimí (La Bohème, Puccini) and Erste Dame (Die Zauberflöte, Mozart). Opera scenes at Guildhall include Anna Bolena (Anna Bolena, Donizetti), Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier, R. Strauss), Miss Wingrave (Owen Wingrave, Britten), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni, Mozart), Elettra (Idomeneo, Mozart), Marietta (Die Tote Stadt, Korngold), Gioconda (La Gioconda, Ponchielli), Armide (Armide, Gluck), Agathe (Der Freischütz, Weber), Arabella (Arabella, R. Strauss), Lady Billows (Albert Herring, Britten) and Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana, Mascagni).

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On the concert platform, Lorna has shown her versatility by performing several song cycles, most notably Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder,  Barber’s Op.10, Three Poem’s by Fiona MacLeod (Griffes) and Grieg’s Sechs Lieder.  Lorna was a Leeds Lieder Young Artist in 2021 and continues to highlight her love for the German song repertoire, especially with the works of Richard Strauss for which she has a special affinity.

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Lorna is a Sybil Tutton Opera Award holder for 22/23 and was gratefully supported by the Girdler's Company for her studies at Guildhall.

 

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