Morag McLaren
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Morag McLaren
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1957
| birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland
| death_date =
| death_place =
| genre = Opera, musical theatre and cabaret
| occupation = Singer, actress, director, coach
| website =
}}
Morag McLaren (born 1957) is a Scottish soprano singer, director and vocal coach. She has performed in opera, musicals, concerts, one woman shows and cabaret acts.
Early life and education
McLaren was born in Edinburgh and attended The Mary Erskine School.{{cite news |last1=Douglas |first1=Allan |title=Prime Time |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000740/19891115/080/0006 |access-date=20 January 2025 |work=Edinburgh Evening News |date=15 November 1989 |page=6}} She graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Music at Lancaster University and trained as an opera singer at the Royal Northern College of Music,{{cite news |last1=Cruise |first1=Malcolm |title=Choir's productive season |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000901/19811113/030/0030 |access-date=19 January 2025 |work=Huddersfield Daily Examiner |date=13 November 1981 |page=30}} where she studied singing with Frederic Cox. She completed an MA degree with distinction in Performance Health and Personal Development at London College of Music.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}
Performing career
McLaren played principal roles in the West End (Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera, in 1988–1989, and Mrs Segstrom in A Little Night Music with The Royal National Theatre in 1995–96).{{cite news |title=Theatre Week |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001637/19950921/173/0043 |access-date=20 January 2025 |work=The Stage |date=21 September 1995 |page=43}} She also had principal roles with Scottish Opera (Lucy in Threepenny Opera in 1990){{cite news |last1=Beat |first1=Janet |title=No weak links in well-knit team |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19900516/160/0015 |access-date=20 January 2025 |work=The Scotsman |date=16 May 1990 |page=15 |quote=Lucy was sung by Morag McLaren, who showed that she has a good feel for comedy.}} and Welsh National Opera (The Mother, the Dew Fairy and the Witch in Hansel and Gretel in 1990–1991).{{cite news |last1=Sicluna |first1=A J |title=Small-scale – but it's a big success |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004733/19910108/006/0006 |access-date=20 January 2025 |work=South Wales Echo |date=8 January 1991 |page=6 |quote=Morag McLaren was in the triple role of the Mother, the Dew Fairy and the Witch and was never better than in the menacing last part where she deservedly earned spontaneous applause.}}
She has also performed in cabaret acts alone and as part of Any Tessitura, a group comprising McLaren, David Bexon and Marion McCullogh and accompanist Tony Stenson, Iwan Llewelyn-Jones or Kelvin Thompson. McLaren has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a tribute to American librettist and lyricist Dorothy Fields titled Hey Big Spender, which she later performed in London. She was a founding member of Impropera, an opera improv group.{{cite web |title=Morag McLaren |url=https://cooperhall.org/the-team/morag-mclaren/ |website=Cooper Hall |access-date=22 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811183446/https://cooperhall.org/the-team/morag-mclaren/ |archive-date=11 August 2022}}
Selected stage performances
Directing and coaching
McLaren was the founder and principal trustee of The Cooper Hall Foundation charity, which promoted music performances, education and the development of creative projects at Cooper Hall near Frome, Somerset.{{cite web |title=Meet the team |url=https://cooperhall.org/meet-the-team/ |website=Cooper Hall |access-date=22 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811175527/https://cooperhall.org/meet-the-team/ |archive-date=11 August 2022}} There, between 2013 and 2015, she directed the operas The Turn of the Screw, Hansel and Gretel, and Cosi Fan Tutte for Frome Festival, in collaboration with Bath Philharmonia, with a workshop focus.{{cite web |title=Opera |url=https://cooperhall.org/opera/ |website=Cooper Hall |access-date=22 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811174523/https://cooperhall.org/opera/ |archive-date=11 August 2022}} She was appointed Patron of Frome Festival in 2013.{{cite news |title=Frome Festival welcomes Morag McLaren as Patron |url=https://www.frometimes.co.uk/frome-festival-welcomes-morag-mclaren-as-patron/ |access-date=22 January 2025 |work=Frome Times |date=19 November 2013}}
McLaren also directed Dido and Aeneas at London College of Music.{{when?|date=January 2025}}{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} With mezzo-soprano Theresa Goble, she co-founded Vox Integra in 2012, which offered vocal coaching.{{cite web |title=Our Vocal Coaches |url=https://www.voxintegra.com/our-vocal-coaches |website=Vox Integra |access-date=22 January 2025}}
She is one of 20 opera singers featured in the 2018 book Opera Lives by Linda Kitchen.{{cite book |last1=Kitchen |first1=Linda |title=Opera Lives |date=2018 |publisher=Spiramus Press |isbn=9781910151563 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JrV0DwAAQBAJ |access-date=22 January 2025}}
Personal life
She is married to a director of a US investment bank, and has two adult children. Her son Gregor Riddell is a professional cellist and composer, and her daughter Kirsty Riddell is an artist.{{cite news|last1=Rudden|first1=Liam|title=New style hits the right note|work=Evening News|publisher=Johnston Press New Media|date=19 September 2002|location=Edinburgh (UK)}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLaren, Morag}}
Category:20th-century Scottish women opera singers
Category:Scottish musical theatre actresses
Category:Musicians from Edinburgh