Beth Clayton

Laura Beth Clayton is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer, and a native of Malvern, Arkansas. [ [http://malvern.dsc.k12.ar.us/schools/Alumni/1987.htm 1987 Graduates of MHS] ]

Education and early career

Beth is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and the Manhattan School of Music. She has been an apprentice artist for the Santa Fe Opera and a member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio.

Awards and nominations

Beth's awards include a William Matheus Sullivan Award, and she was a finalist at the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions.

In the summer of 2003, Beth Clayton sang the role of Rosalind in the first present-day performances of Sir Richard Rodney Bennett’s The Mines of Sulphur which was issued on the Chandos label and has been nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award. [ [http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=448&c=2 Imgartists.com] ] [ [http://www.palmbeachpost.com/ae/content/entertainment/arts_entertainment/epaper/2007/02/11/a5j_robertson_0211.html Palm Beach Post] ] In 2008 Clayton created multiple roles (Officer/Medical Analyst/Cheevers) at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Howard Shore's opera "The Fly", composed by Howard Shore, directed by David Cronenberg, and conducted by Placido Domingo. [cite web|url=http://www.theflytheopera.com/cast.php|title=Howard Shore: "The Fly" — The Opera: The Cast|accessdate=2008-06-04|year=2008|publisher=Los Angeles Opera]

Criticism

2002 Pulitzer prize winner in the category of criticism, Justin Davidson said of Beth's performance in the debut of Lilith at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center: "Beth Clayton, making her debut with the company, slinked memorably through the title role, armed with a cloak of long, brown, shampoo-commercial hair, a fierce and glistening soprano and a shiny nightie." [ [http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2002/criticism/works/111301.html Pulitzer.org] ]

Personal life

Beth is an out lesbian. She is living in Santa Fe, New Mexico and New York with her long-time partner, opera diva Patricia Racette. In June 2002, when Patricia Racette was featured as the cover story for the "Opera News Magazine", Patricia requested that the magazine include her public coming-out statement. She stated that her sexuality (and long-term relationship with Beth) was a very important part of who she is as an artist. [ [http://www.magazine.org/independent_publishers/The_Four_Questions/ Quote from publishers of Opera News Magazine: We did what we considered a very important cover story in June 2002, in which Patricia Racette, a very important soprano, publicly discussed her homosexuality for the first time. The response from our readers on that was overwhelmingly positive. The difference for us is that Miss Racette was on our cover because of her accomplishments as a singer. Her relationship with her partner was and is a very important part of who she is an artist, so with her permission and encouragement, we included a discussion of that part of her life. We did not put her on the cover of the magazine because she was a lesbian.] ] Beth and Patricia got married in the summer of 2005. [ [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst;jsessionid=FYgJ20FwfQRKzS1h7NQbGLRpzH1wP5pbJBfLGW9nGMHQVSnVQhd5!-2040645674!1428813345?a=o&d=5011334286 Questia.com] ]

References

* [http://www.bethclayton.info/ Official Website]
* http://malvern.dsc.k12.ar.us/schools/Alumni/1987.htm