"Tapestry patrons will remember mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal from her stunning performance in the title role of M’dea Undone. Segal has a divinely warm and colourful instrument with impressive agility and lyricism."
Keira Grant, Mooney on Theatre
Eurydice in Tap:Ex Augmented Opera, Tapestry Opera
November 2019
"Her incredible range is on full display as she seems to effortlessly sing this somewhat difficult score."
Greg Finney, Schmopera
Eurydice in Tap:Ex Augmented Opera, Tapestry Opera
November 2019
"As Tatyana's younger sister Olga, Lauren Segal offers a silky portrayal of a young woman in love. Segal's charming interpretation is playful and flirtatious. Compared to the meloncholic Tatyana, Segal's Olga shines with youthful exuberance, her voice shimmering with simple vivacity."
Oliver Munar, Schmopera
Olga in Eugene Onegin, Calgary Opera
February 2018
"Lauren Segal squeezed everything there is to get from her role as Olga, her singing and acting spot on."
Kenneth Delong, Calgary Herald
Olga in Eugene Onegin, Calgary Opera
February 2018
"As Charlotte, Lauren Segal is a standout in Manitoba Opera's Werther."
Lara Rae, CBC News Manitoba
Charlotte in Werther, Manitoba Opera
May 2017
"South African/Canadian mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal also created a flesh-and-blood "angel of duty," with her acting skills revealing her character's inner turmoil, climaxing with one final "Ah!" after Werther dies that emanates as a shriek from her soul. Segal's rich vocals also resonated during her third-act Va! Laisser couler mes larmes, that great in dramatic intensity as she realizes the poet's self-destructive intentions."
Holly Harris, Winnipeg Free Press
Charlotte in Werther, Manitoba Opera
May 2017
"Lauren Segal's voice is equally sonorous and powerful at the lower and upper registers, and she was also very well suited to the role, not sacrificing the music for the drama or the drama for the music but sustaining both throughout the opera."
Rebecca Danos, A Harmonic Analysis
Charlotte in Werther, Manitoba Opera
May 2017
"Lauren Segal has an alluring, dark-plum mezzo, and oozed barefoot sensuality as the gypsy seductress.."
Natasha Gauthier, Ottawa Citizen
Alto in Diary of One Who Disappeared
Against the Grain Theatre with
Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival
July 2016
"Lauren Segal's agile tongue was totally at home with the notoriously difficult Czech text."
Michael Vincent, Musical Toronto
Alto in Diary of One Who Disappeared
Against the Grain Theatre with
Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival
July 2016
"Lauren Segal (Hermia), smaller in stature than Helena as per the text, has a voice as rich as Allison’s, warm and round, complemented by excellent acting."
Elizabeth Paterson, Review Vancouver
Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Pacific Opera Victoria
April 2016
"...Iago’s innocent wife Emilia, given warmth and tenderness by Canadian mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal...."
TimesArgus.com
Emilia in Otello, Opéra de Montréal
February 2016
"Mezzo soprano Lauren Segal was a particularly consistent delight, from, "But who may abide the day of his coming?" in Part One to the sorrowful meditation, "He was despised," which sets up the triumphant "Hallelujah" chorus at the end of Part Two."
Andrew Meacham, TampaBayTimes.com
Soloist in Messiah with the The Florida Orchestra
& Master Chorale of Tampa Bay
December 2015
"Lauren Segal as Madame Mayor was incredible; intense, vicious, heartbreaking. From ten feet away it was an extraordinary thing to see and hear."
John Gilks, Operaramblings
Madame Mayor in Kevin Morse's A Modest Proposal
Tapestry Opera Workshop
June 2015
"Mezzo Lauren Segal sang a M’dea of fierce, startling beauty, her vital, earthy tone erupting into bursts of vibrancy, passionate and primal, fiery and exciting. A frequent guest artist with the Canadian Opera Company, Segal daringly overturned conventional notions of technique, employing sharp breath breaks as gasps of dread, flashing back and forth between head and chest voice, eyes ablaze with pain and fury. An unsettling performance. And quite extraordinary."
Ian Ritchie, Opera Going Toronto
M'dea in M'dea Undone, Tapestry Opera
May 2015
"Lauren Segal offers a ferocious performance as the wronged M’dea... A fine singing actor, Segal runs the gamut of emotions, showing us the loving mother, the outsider seduced by dreams of freedom and peace, the distraught and then vengeful spouse and finally the parent forced to choose between love and retribution."
Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine
M'dea in M'dea Undone, Tapestry Opera
May 2015
"Jenna: As M'dea, mezzo Lauren Segal was tragic and frustrating and compelling, and I loved it. She sounded spectacular, and put the text before all. Ugly chest voice, hyperventilating panick, seduction; Lauren sang them all so specifically that I was pulled past all the "parts" of opera and into the story... Greg: As M'dea, Lauren Segal is breathtaking. A challenging role to sing for sure, she made excellent and prolific use of her chest voice, adding a depth of heartiness and earthiness to balance with some of her incredibly difficult higher passages. Her acting was on point. Segal was riveting from start to finish. Watching her slide from love-struck new mother into the madness caused by infidelity was incredibly powerful."
Jenna Douglas and Greg Finney, Schmopera
M'dea in M'dea Undone, Tapestry Opera
May 2015
"Lauren came next with Dvorák’s Cigánské melodie. These songs cover a wide range of moods, all vividly captured by Segal. Her voice is dark toned and very mezzo; no soprano 2 here! One would think her perfectly suited for gloomy Slavic rep until, as she did later, she cut loose on de Falla’s Siete canciones populares Españolas. Here she was every bit the dark eyed Spaniard singing with fiery passion of love and loss. Both sets ended with fierce, bravura numbers brought off with panache. The lady knows how to work a crowd!"
John Gilks, operaramblings
Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Canadian Opera Company
October 2014
"As a role Meg isn’t terribly showy, but Lauren Segal’s knockout voice and Vogue-worthy costume turned it into a starring role."
Joseph So, La Scene Musicale
Meg Page in Falstaff, Canadian Opera Company
October 2014
"The evening began with a refreshingly lean, seductive performance of Richard Strauss’s String Sextet from Capriccio, Op. 85 followed by two late Romanticism-drenched works for voice and strings in which mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal contributed her creamy voice and vividly dramatic presence: Zemlinsky’s Maiblumen blühten überall and Respighi’s Il Tramonto."
Laurence Vittes, allthingsstrings
Montreal Chamber Music Festival with the Calidore String Quartet
May 2014
"Lauren Segal was a sympathetic Suzuki in one of opera's most appealing roles, her singing warm and expressive, and her relationship to Butterfly clearly defined."
Kenneth Delong, The Calgary Herald
Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, Calgary Opera
April 2014
""Despite the relative unimportance of Meg in the opera, mezzo Lauren Segal managed to equal the other women, thanks to her stage presence and acute dramatic sense."
Ossama el Naggar, Opera Canada
Meg Page in Falstaff, L’Opéra de Montréal
October 2013
“In the title role, mezzo Lauren Segal was everything an eager and appreciative audience could hope for.
A dark-haired beauty with an alluring figure poured into a variety of clinging dresses, she presented a sultry and smoldering femme fatale. One moment her voice scorched her listeners, the next she placed it as one would a china teacup, as she did, for example, in the 'Seguidilla'."
William Robertson, Opera Canada
Carmen in Carmen, Saskatoon Opera
Fall 2013
“This is a creative and satisfying production, full of skilled performances and intelligent design. Those attending will be sure to come up with their own reasons to appreciate the performance. Here are the top three for The Star Phoenix.
1. Lauren Segal as Carmen
Miscast the title role in this opera and it is all over. But Segal was an excellent choice for this iconic villain who unrepentantly crushes anyone who gets in her way.
A cloud of dark hair floats around her as she works the stage and makes use of an appropriately smoky voice. She is arresting from the moment her face first appears, framed in the open window of an old work truck.
Segal manages to smoulder, then explode — both vocally and in terms of her acting — without overdoing it. Her onstage ease is the secret to her success in this dream role.”
Heather Perrson, The Star Pheonix
Carmen in Carmen, Saskatoon Opera
June 2013
“The cast member who made the strongest impression was Lauren Segal as Métella. She has a lush but unclouded mezzo-soprano and a strong stage presence. Her seductive Métella seemed to give a foretaste of Carmen.”
Christopher Hoile, Stage Door
Métella in La Vie Parisienne, Toronto Operetta Company
May 2013
“Mezzo Lauren Segal was the ideal Gypsy, singing her relatively short role with luscious tone and exuding physical allure.”
Joseph So, Opera Canada
Alto in The Diary of One Who Disappeared, Against the Grain Theater
Summer 2013
“The performances and the soloists couldn’t have been better… The object of his affection, mezzo Lauren Segal, used her rich voice and seductive acting to ensnare him.”
Jon Kaplan and Glenn Sumi, NOW Magazine
Alto in The Diary of One Who Disappeared, Against the Grain Theater
March 2013
“In the role of Zefka the gypsy, soprano Lauren Segal is a sultry, seductive free-spirit, high flying as “the skylarks rising there”. With her wide-ranging clear, sky blue vocal colours deliciously underlain with earthy tonal hues, Miss Segal gives a performance of compelling sensuality. Her seduction scene with Ainsworth, staged by director Ivany with unblinking directness in a suggested furrowed field, is extraordinary, simultaneously consuming and tender.”
Opera going Toronto
Alto in The Diary of One Who Disappeared, Against the Grain Theater
March 2013
“Lauren Segal, whose vivid Maddalena was especially notable”
Wayne Gooding, Opera Canada
Maddalena in Rigoletto, Opera Hamilton
October 2012
“Lauren Segal’s rich mezzo voice lent a touch of class to her tawdry Maddalena.”
Leonard Turnevicius, The Hamilton Spectator
Maddalena in Rigoletto, Opera Hamilton
October 2012
“Mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal has the physical attributes to attract customers to Maddalena’s profession and the vocal chords to keep them.”
James Karas, bachtrack
Maddalena in Rigoletto, Opera Hamilton
October 2012
"Mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal used her lustrous voice and fine acting ability to convey the Muse's hope and frustration and provided the moral grounding for the entire production."
Christopher Hoile, Opera News
The Muse/Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann,
Canadian Opera Company
July 2012 Edition
"The singing is first-rate, beginning with Lauren Segal’s passionate Muse/Nicklausse…”
Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine
The Muse/Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann,
Canadian Opera Company
April 2012
“Incidentally, Segal is absolutely sensational with a rich, fruity mezzo-soprano voice that will take her far. She has it all – she can both sing and act.”
Paula Citron, paulacitron.ca
The Muse/Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann,
Canadian Opera Company
April 2012
“Lauren Segal’s burnished mezzo-soprano made her Muse/Nicklausse a pleasure throughout.”
Tamara Bernstein, The Globe and Mail
The Muse/Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann,
Canadian Opera Company
April 2012
“Canadian mezzo Lauren Segal shined as Nicklausse, a role tailor-made for her voice and personality. Given this version that opened all the cuts, Nicklausse has more music to sing than any of the women. To my eyes and ears, Segal gave the performance of her still young career.”
Joseph So, La Scena Musicale
The Muse/Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann,
Canadian Opera Company
April 2012
“And then there is Lauren Segal’s incandescent Nicklausse. Her dark velvet tone has just enough gleam on the top to cut through the dark cavernous hall like a beam of light.”
Axel van Chee, The Charlebois Post
The Muse/Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann,
Canadian Opera Company
April 2012
“Especial treats are the pashmina-warm mezzo of Lauren Segal as the Muse.”
John Terauds, The Toronto Star
The Muse/Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann,
Canadian Opera Company
April 2012
“Mezzo-Soprano Lauren Segal did a fantastic job as The Muse/Nicklausse. I especially enjoyed her rich, warm low notes, which had just the right amount of bite. Dramatically, her transition from the feminine muse to Hoffmann’s male friend was very well executed.”
Keira Grant, Mooney on Theatre
The Muse/Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann,
Canadian Opera Company
April 2012
“With four sopranos performing Hoffmann’s love fixations the main female role is that of the Muse/Nicklausse - Lauren Segal excels in every way.”
Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet
The Muse/Nicklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann,
Canadian Opera Company
April 2012
"The most enjoyable singer, the one with the most “star power” was Lauren Segal. Her lusty, robust mezzo overpowered... She sizzled in “Près des remparts de Séville” from Bizet’s Carmen (her dazzling red satin strapless gown did her no harm), and her duet with Lyne Fortin in “Dôme épais” from Delibes’ Lakmé was lovingly rendered."
Earl Arthur Love, ConcertoNet.com
Soloist - Gala 16e édition, Opéra de Montréal
December 2011
"Lauren Segal was a wonderfully feisty and vocally sure-footed Rosina, evident right away in her fiery account of "Una voce poco fa"."
Wayne Gooding, Opera Canada
Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Opera Hamilton
Winter 2011
"South-African mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal made a splendid Rosina. She has a voice that she can lower to rich dark chocolate and raise it to delicious white cream. This Rosina gets what she wants but no one can blame Count Almaviva for loving her."
James Karas, Pressplus 1 - Stage Reviews
Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Opera Hamilton
November 2011
"Top vocal honours went to Canadian mezzo Lauren Segal. Former member of the COC Ensemble Studio, Segal is one of the best current crop of mezzo-sopranos in Canada. She has a glamorous stage presence to go with her gleaming, luscious timbre. She is a genuine mezzo with an even scale from top to bottom."
Joseph K. So, La Scena Musicale
Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Opera Hamilton
October 2011
"Our heroine is sung by Lauren Segal and she is one foxy lady. She’s coy, she’s charming, and when she lets us know of her capacity for reprisal- scary as hell."
Danny Gaisin, Ontario Arts Review
Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Opera Hamilton
October 2011
"Lauren Segal’s Rosina is sexy, commanding, feisty, petulant and obviously in need of opposition and contradiction so she might vent her pent up anger. When she sings “but if my anger is aroused…” and then hurls her guardian’s coat to the floor, her fury is pointed like the knife she holds in her hand. Whenever she glares into the audience, one feels the need to duck. Vocally speaking, her embellishments feel organically and comfortably right. Hers is a clear, agile full-bodied and piercing mezzo that gives the production a huge dose of feminine spicing."
James Strecker, James Strecker Reviews the Arts
Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Opera Hamilton
October 2011
"Barefooted and frowzy-headed, she emanated all the sexuality a temptress can muster. Not only was Segal the title character, she made the show her own, even with a dynamic octet of co-stars."
Danny Gaisin, Ontario Arts Review
Carmen in Carmen, Brott Music Festival
August 2011
"Mezzo Lauren Segal then graced the stage as Rosina from ‘Barbiere’. We were indeed watching Rosina and not Segal as the mezzo completely immersed herself in her character. This was no recital but truly opera as Segal, with her rich, full voice playfully, coyly, and beautifully performed ‘Una voce poco fa’. The audience loved it as they could not contain their shouts of approval following the aria. Brava!"
Eyal Bitton, Ontario Arts Review
Opera Romance, Brott Music Festival
July 2011
"... the richness of Segal’s tone and delightfully crisp, clear delivery... Segal showed her impressive range in “O mio Fernando” from La Favorita by Donizetti. Finely crafted lines and convincing acting made us feel her sorrow."
Gwenda Nemerofsky, Opera Today
Divas and Divos Concert, Manitoba Opera
October 2010
"The Canadian Lauren Segal (Maddalena) was alluring, sexy, her voice rich in nuance. The best drama of the evening was her heated argument with Sparafucile over whom to murder."
Robert Markow, Opera Magazine
Maddalena in Rigoletto, Opéra de Montréal
September 2010
“Toronto audiences are no stranger to mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal, whose Maddalena was one of the finest performances of the night.”
Alan Conter, Globe and Mail
Maddalena in Rigoletto, Opéra de Montréal
September 2010
“Mr. Ernesto Morillo and Miss Lauren Segal as Sparafucile and his sister Maddalena, could have stolen the entire show if their roles were not so confined. When they were on stage, these artists dominated with a quality that portends future greatness… Miss Segal owns a ravishing vocal instrument...”
COMMANDOpera.com
Maddalena in Rigoletto, Opéra de Montréal
September 2010
“Le tandem Sparafucille-Maddalena est stupéfiant de voix et de jeu. …une aguicheuse de classe magnifiquement interprétée par Lauren Segal dont la musicalité et de réels talents dramatiques laissent présager une belle carrière.”
Réal Boucher, Forum Opera
Maddalena in Rigoletto, Opéra de Montréal
September 2010
“La mezzo canadienne Lauren Segal est, elle aussi, parfaitement convaincante dans le rôle plus bref de la très désirable Maddalena, soeur et complice du spadassin.”
Claude Gingras, La Presse
Maddalena in Rigoletto, Opéra de Montréal
September 2010
“There is a power in Segal’s mezzo that belies her stature. The timbre and range she imparted reflected soul.”
Danny Gaisin, Brott Music (blog)
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Brott Music Festival
August 2010
“Lauren Segal, mezzo naturel, vocalement souple fut une Rosine de classe”
Jean-Jacques Van Vlasselaer, Le Droit
Opera Under the Stars, National Art’s Centre
July 2010
“Mezzo soprano ayant une des carrières les plus prometteuses sur la scène canadienne, elle est belle, élégante. Elle chante merveilleusement bien. Elle a des traits délicats, elle est expressive…. L’expression qu’elle donne à ces œuvres nous rappelle parfois les personnages des romans de Jane Austen."
Hélène Martin, FestiVoix Blog
In Recital, Le FestiVoix de Trois-Rivières
July 2010
“D'une grande prestance, la jeune mezzo-soprano canadienne Lauren Segal s'est présentée dans une élégante robe violet sur la scène de la Maison de la culture… Le public.., s'est facilement laissé transporter par son timbre parfois doux, parfois dramatique”
Isabelle Bédard-Brulé, Le Nouvelliste
In Recital, Le FestiVoix de Trois-Rivières
July 2010
“The Dorabella was Lauren Segal, possessed of a rich and beautiful mezzo voice, and–no disadvantage–gorgeous to look at.”
Bernard Jacobson, musicweb-international
Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Pacific Opera Victoria
April 2010
“Superb is also the word for Lauren Segal’s Mercédès. Segal is also understudying the title role. It would be interesting to see what she could do as the lead… “
Leonard Turnevicius, Jamilton (blog)
Mercédès in Carmen, Canadian Opera Company
January 2010
“Special mention is due Lauren Segal (Mercédès), an intelligent young singer who must have the role of Carmen in her not-too-distant future.”
Michael Johnson, Concertonet.com
Mercédès in Carmen, Canadian Opera Company
January 2010
“The highlight of the evening's entertainment included a rendition of Carmen's "Habanera" by mezzo soprano Lauren Segal who was accompanied by the TorQ Percussion Quartet.”
Susan O’Neill, bizbash.com
Operanation 2010, Canadian Opera Company
February 2010
“Mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal is the quintessential modern singer. Possessing a lovely voice and innate musicality backed by solid preparation and admirable musicianship, Segal is also blessed with glamorous looks and a svelte figure, a decided advantage in today's visually oriented opera world. A natural actor, Segal brings to her roles the requisite dramatic presence and youthful allure.”
Joseph So, Opera Canada
Artists on Stage Feature Article
Winter 2010
“As Orlofsky, the world-weary Russian prince, Lauren Segal was a delight to listen to.”
Leonard Turnevicius, Opera Canada
Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Opera Hamilton
October 2009
"Butterfly's maid, Suzuki, was the glorious-voiced Canadian mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal. Possessing a range that would challenge any alto, Segal has a wonderful instrument. Her tone flows like heavy cream. An accomplished actress, her fierce loyalty to Butterfly was eminently convincing."
Gwenda Nemerofsky, Winnipeg Free Press
Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, Manitoba Opera
April 2009
“Lauren Segal is one of the strongest Suzukis ever, both vocally and dramatically.”
Paula Citron, Classical 96.3 FM
Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, Hamilton Opera
March 2009
“There is also exceptional work from any number of the supporting players too, not the least of which are mezzo Lauren Segal, bass Alain Coulombe and mezzo Sonya Gosse as as Natasha’s cousin, father and godmother respectively…”
John Coulbourn, Toronto Sun
Sonya in War and Peace, Canadian Opera Company
October 2008
“Outstanding in secondary roles are Alain Coulombe as Nathasha’s father and Lauren Segal as the cousin who foils Nathasha’s elopement with Anatole.”
Michael Johnson, ConcertoNet.com
Sonya in War and Peace, Canadian Opera Company
October 2008
“Other standouts are mezzo Lauren Segal as a boy…”
John Terauds, The Toronto Star
Aljeja in From the House of the Dead, Canadian Opera Company
February 2008
“Every now and then, in the midst of all those male voices, the rich mezzo-soprano voice of Lauren Segal (playing a boy) sounds a very welcome note.”
Dilettantesdiary.com
Aljeja in From the House of the Dead, Canadian Opera Company
February 2008
“Save for the bit part of a prostitute, the production involves only one female voice, Aljeja, a young Tartar, written for a boy but touchingly sung here by mezzo Lauren Segal.”
William Littler, Opera Canada
Aljeja in From the House of the Dead, Canadian Opera Company
February 2008
“Mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal as Smeton always impresses with her honey-coated, distinctive, lush tone.”
Paula Citron, Classical 96.3 FM
Smeton in Anna Bolena, Opera in Concert
October 2007
“Lauren Segal's endearing performance of Cherubino's "Voi che sapete," however, is a particular highlight.”
NC, Opera Canada
Opera under the Stars DVD, Canadian Opera Company
“Mezzo Lauren Segal, meanwhile, has some lovely moments as the earnest Siébel.”
John Coulbourn, Toronto Sun
Siébel in Faust, Canadian Opera Company
February 2007
“I also found the singing quite strong with talented Canadians – tenor David Pomeroy as Faust, baritone Brett Polegato as Valentin, and mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal as Siébel – giving a very good account of themselves.”
Paula Citron, Classical 96.3 fm
Siébel in Faust, Canadian Opera Company
February 2007
“As Siébel, Lauren Segal’s gleaming mezzo was a pleasure…”
Joseph So, Opera (U.K.)
Siébel in Faust, Canadian Opera Company
May 2007
“In the Walton piece, mezzo Lauren Segal is spectacular as the young widow Popova.”
John Terauds, The Toronto Star
Popova in The Bear, Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Production
December 2006
“The most impressive performer was Lauren Segal as the not-so-grieving widow.”
Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine
Popova in The Bear, Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Production
December 2006
“Particularly striking was mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal (Sesto), who has a beautifully expressive tone and solid technique, and was totally at ease, dramatically and musically.”
Renée Maheu, Opera Canada
Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito, Orford Arts Festival
July 2005
“…Lauren Segal consistently sang her part [Fenena] with power and a fine mezzo voice, capable of true expression and power.”
Robert Harris, The Globe and Mail
Fenena in Nabucco, Opera in Concert
February 2002
“…mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal has a big, expressive voice…”
Paula Citron, Classical 96.3 FM
Fenena in Nabucco, Opera in Concert
February 2002