Biography

Laura Hynes Smith is quickly gaining a
reputation in France and
internationally as a high-energy
performer with a magnetic stage
presence and a radiant, silvery voice.
With her musical training rooted in
piano and jazz, the American
soprano found her true calling in
classical singing, which she has
studied with Audrey Luna since 1999.
After earning a master’s degree at
the Cincinnati College-Conservatory
of Music, she moved to France on a
Fulbright scholarship, where she
completed the Cycle de
Perfectionnement at the Paris
Conservatory in 2006.

Laura Hynes Smith made her highly
acclaimed French debut at the

Opéra de Marseille in 2006 as Sister Constance in “Dialogues of the
Carmelites.” Recently, she performed the role of Pamina in "The Magic Flute" at
the Opéra de Montpellier with Hervé Niquet conducting, and returns there in
November to sing Clorinda in "La Cenerentola." Laura will also be returning to
Marseille as Oscar in Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” in early 2008.

Following her success in Marseille, she was one of ten soloists of the Jardin des
Voix chosen by conductor William Christie to take part in an international tour
with the celebrated baroque orchestra Les Arts Florissants. Performances took
place in some of the most prestigious concert halls in Europe and the US,
including Madrid, London, Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, Lisbon and New York,
among others.

Laura’s vibrancy and musical versatility is also gaining exposure through
television and radio broadcasts, most notably with Jean-François Zygel’s
“Boite à Musique” (to be released on DVD this Christmas) and “Cabaret
Classique.” Her recital for the Radio France Festival with pianist Marcelo
Amaral was aired on France Musique. She also appears in the television
documentary on the Jardin des Voix - Baroque Académie - which comes out
later this year.

Since moving to France, Laura has recorded contemporary music with the
Ensemble 2e2m; recorded a CD of Mozart, Haydn and Schubert songs with
Jory Vinikour at the pianoforte; performed song recitals at the Théâtre
Mogador (Paris), Archives Nationales (Paris), le Corum (Montpellier), and the
Scène Nationale du Havre; and sings recitals regularly at the U.S. Ambassador's
residence in Paris, where she most recently sang for President Bush.

Throughout her training, Laura has won numerous competitions, including top
prizes and Audience Favorite awards in the Meistersinger International
Competition (Graz, Austria), the Opera Columbus Competition, and the
Metropolitan Opera district competition. She has also been invited to
participate in masterclasses with the likes of Elly Ameling and Rudolf Jansen
(Villecroze), Rudolf Piernay, and Margreet Honig.

Laura’s American engagements have included roles such as Sister Catherine
(Dead Man Walking) alongside Frederica von Stade, Blumenmädchen in
Parsifal with Jesús López-Cobos conducting, Frasquita (Carmen), Susanna (The
Marriage of Figaro), Baby Doe (The Ballad of Baby Doe), Pamina (The Magic
Flute), Laetitia (The Old Maid and the Thief), Jina zinka (Rusalka), and Miss
Wordsworth (Albert Herring).