Claron McFadden, soprano
Hans Haffmans, moderator
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After graduating from the Eastman School of Music in 1984, American Claron McFadden settled in the Netherlands, never to leave. She toured all over the world with leading musicians and ensembles and created a furore. How did she shape her future as a singer? What obstacles and opportunities did she encounter? What choices did she make and what role did poetry and (new) music play in this?
Following on from Hans Haffmans' probing conversation with Robert Holl last year, he now talks to versatile American soprano Claron McFadden about her uniquely impressive career.
In an interview for the series Meet the musicians for the Concertgebouw, she said of herself: 'Claron, I'm not called that for nothing, I think: openness, clarity, I look for connection, for sounds of others, for other sounds. Together you contribute to a new narrative. I don't feel like a singer per se, rather an instrumentalist. If I have to do something solo, I always look for the sound of, say, the clarinetist behind me, to connect and be able to make chamber music together.'
Hafmann's great love of music and vast knowledge of repertoire, performance practice and the music industry, as well as his talent to always get to the heart of the matter, make him the dream interviewer. Let him take you away with sharp questions and surprising, sung excerpts.
Claron McFadden / soprano
After graduating with distinction from the Eastman School of Music, Claron McFadden moved to the Netherlands and made a career as one of the most versatile singers of her generation. In 1985, she made her debut in the production of Hasse's L'Eroe Cinese at the Holland Festival conducted by Ton Koopman, after which many opera productions followed. Besides her numerous opera roles, Claron McFadden also made a name for herself on the concert stage and could be heard in oratorios. She sang frequently at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and performed with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Residentie Orkest and the MDR and SWR orchestras. Furthermore, she is a welcome guest at the BBC Proms. Because of her versatility, she is often asked to perform with jazz musicians including the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw.
Hans Haffmans / presenter
Hans Haffmans studied theology in the Netherlands and the United States, lived in Jordan for two years for his Arabic language studies and studied classical guitar at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Since then he has worked for NPO Klassiek. For the Wereldomroep, he presented the weekly programme Live at The Concertgebouw for over ten years, which was broadcast in the United States via about two hundred FM stations.
In 2010, he won with the programme Four-stroke Early the Zilveren Reissmicrofoon, the annual radio award of Dutch media journalists. Currently, he mainly presents radio and television programmes for the NTR. He also conducts concert introductions, public interviews and courses for The Royal Concertgebouw.
Large church hall / Zusterplein 12 / 3703 CB Zeist
Claron McFadden seems to effortlessly navigate the world of classical music; she performs baroque alto contemporary repertoire with equal ease. What made her performance an experience was her soulful, confident delivery.
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