CLAIRE LEYDEN

genre-bender
crossover artist
classics-reimaginer

shAKESPEARE NERD
OUTDOORSY LADY
irish & italian-american

Commended for her “magnetic stage presence” and “crystalline soprano,” Claire Leyden is a singer and actress with an extensive background in musical theater, concert, and operatic repertoire.  “Shapeshifting and likable” (NYTimes), Claire feels equally at home in everything from Shakespeare to contemporary opera, and the diversity of her recent performances speaks to her love of, and versatility in, the “crossover” repertoire.  A native of the beautiful Hudson Valley, Claire loves to explore the outdoors and is committed to climate causes and making the world a little better than she found it! When not on stage, she loves to spend time with her husband Greg, hiking and quizzing one another on the Latin names of plants.

(Leyden is pronounced “LIE-den”, like “Biden” or “Haydn” or “Poseidon”!)

upcoming

South Pacific - Nellie Forbush (Toledo Opera)

February 14-16, 2025. Learn More.

Iolanthe - Phyllis (New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players)

April 5-6, 2025. Learn More.

recently

Strictly Gershwin (Tulsa Ballet), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey), Ragtime (Signature Theatre), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (National Tour), The Pirates of Penzance (New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players), Madeleine (Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live), and Der Freischütz (Heartbeat Opera). Claire is an avid collaborator in new work across all genres; recent world premieres include The Extinctionist by Daniel Schlosberg and Amanda Quaid (read our NYTimes profile here), It’s a Small World (or, The Robot Play) by Amber Palmer, and Pietà by Jake Landau & Andrea DelGiudice. Williams College, BA.