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Biography
Mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin has received high praise from The New York Times chief classical music critic Anthony Tommasini, who wrote that she possesses "compelling artistry," "communicative power," and that her voice displays "earthy, rich, and poignant qualities." Los Angeles Times special critic Josef Woodard has lauded Rubin’s "charismatic, multi-textured performance," stating that Laurie Rubin " seems to have an especially acute intuition about the power and subtleties of sound and she was a compelling force at the center of the music." Her outstanding artistry was showcased recently at the AT&T Center Theater in Los Angeles, where LA Times critic Mark Swed described her as "a young mezzo-soprano whose voice is darkly complex and mysteriously soulful and who adds intense emphasis to every word of text."
On October 23, 2012, Seven Stories Press published Rubin’s memoir, "Do You Dream in Color? Insights From a Girl Without Sight". Recounting her experiences from childhood through the rise of her career as an opera singer, Rubin shows how her determination to continually surpass and redefine others’ expectations, has enabled her to defy the naysayers who told her that she would never experience romance, have a real job, live independently, much less ski, design jewelry or fulfill her ambition to sing on stage. Although blindness is a low incidence disability, many people possess traits that make them different or that others may perceive as not normal. Rubin hopes the story of her "journey towards identity," will resonate with young people struggling with two fundamental questions: "Who am I?" and "Where do I fit in?" Notes revered opera singer Frederica von Stade, “Do You Dream in Color? shows the same clarity, honesty, and devotion that Laurie has always had with her art. A wonderful book." And Dr. Pola Rosen, publisher of Education Update, raves “Laurie Rubin’s memoir should be required reading in that it underscores the triumph of the human spirit. Rubin serves as a role model for all of us, whether or not we face a disability.”
Bridge Records released her companion CD to the book entitled, "Do You Dream in Color?". The album includes the world premiere recording of Bruce Adolphe’s composition, "Do You Dream in Color?", setting poetry by Rubin which details her experiences of being blind. Rubin gave the world premiere of the work in its orchestral version at the International Human Rights Conference in Lucerne Switzerland in April 2013, and the US premiere with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in October 2013.
Rubin has also recorded Faith in Spring with Graham Johnson and David Wilkinson on the Opera Omnia label and she appears on Target, a CD of works by Keeril Makan on the Starkland label. In 2013, she embarked on an extensive North American concert and book tour, giving presentations and performances at such venues as the 92nd Street Y in New York City with best selling author Michael Cunningham among others, the Cherry Hill Jewish Community Center Book Festival, and the Philadelphia Library. Ms. Rubin also took part in the competitive Lucas Artist Residency Program’s Composers &
Musicians Fellowship at the Montalvo Arts Center with composer/producer Jennifer Taira to write and produce their new pop album, branded under the pop duo name, PureLand.
Ms. Rubin has also collaborated with Ms. Taira in the writing of a new musical entitled “Peace On Your Wings,” serving as lyricist and co-libretist. The musical is inspired by the true story of 12 year old Sadako Sasaki who died of leukemia resulting from radiation caused by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, known for the thousand paper cranes she folded in hopes of getting well and for world peace. The musical had its world premiere on Oahu to sold out audiences in 2014, and subsequently toured the neighbor islands of Maui, Kauai, and the Island of Hawaii in 2015. The production toured to Los Angeles in 2015 for its West Coast premiere at the Aratani Theatre, and subsequently made its New York City debut in
September of 2016 at John Jay College, in San Jose and San Francisco in 2017, and Sacramento in 2018.
Rubin’s recent career highlights include her United Kingdom solo recital debut at Wigmore Hall in London as well as her solo recital debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. As a soloist she has performed Handel's Messiah with the Rochester Chamber Orchestra, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass with the Hawaii Bach Festival Orchestra, Haydn's Theresienmesse with the Hawaii Vocal Arts Ensemble and the Hawaii Masterworks Festival Orchestra, Berlioz' Les Nuits d't with the Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra, Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor with the Yale Symphony Orchestra, Haydn's Harmonie Mass with the Oakland East Bay Symphony, a benefit concert of duets with opera star Frederica von Stade, Barber's Knoxville Summer of 1915 under the baton of John Williams, a benefit performance with Marvin Hamlisch, Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, as well as in concert at The White House and the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.
Ms. Rubin has performed a number of operatic roles, including the title role in Rossini's La Cenerentola, Mrs. Noye in Britten's "Noye's Fludde," under the baton of Dr. Samuel Wong, the lead role of Karen in Gordon Beeferman's The Rat Land at New York City Opera’s VOX Festival, Penelope in Monteverdi's The Return of Ulysses at the Greenwich Music Festival and Elle in Poulenc’s The Human Voice at the Greenwich Music Festival and the Ohana Arts Festival. She played the role of the voice/witch in Lisa Bielawa’s episodic opera, “Vireo,” written for broadcast which aired in June 2017 on KCET Los Angeles, and is the winner of the prestigious ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award. Ms. Rubin has also performed concerts of new music with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. She has collaborated with and premiered works by composers John Harbison, Gabriela Lena Frank, Keeril Makan, Bruce Adolphe, Noam Sivan and Gordon Beeferman. In September 2015, she made her Ravinia Festival debut in a duet concert with mezzo-soprano Frederica Von Stade, and will be returning to Ravinia in February of 2019 for a solo recital.
As a sought after motivational speaker, Laurie was invited to the National Delta Gamma Fraternity Convention in 2014 as lectureship speaker for over 1,000 women, gave a Ted Talk at the 2015 annual Ted Med Conference, and was a speaker in the Student Senate series at Utah Valley University in 2016.
A co-founder and co-artistic director of Musique a la Mode Chamber Music Ensemble, which has a concert series in Manhattan’s East Village, Ms. Rubin is also one of the founding members of the baroque ensemble Callisto Ascending which has performed concerts at Lincoln Center. In addition, she is the co-founder and co- artistic director of Ohana Arts, a performing arts festival and school in Honolulu, Hawaii.
OPERA America/Opera.ca Grants Awarded
Click here to learn more about OPERA America granting programs.
| GRANT NAME | YEAR | Opera Grants for Women Composers: Discovery Grants | 2020 |
There are no productions for this artist in the Season Schedule of Performances which currently only dates back to 1991.
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Artist Information
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