[asa]B005IQXUZI[/asa]

In just a few short years, Lucy Crowe has become one of the most in-demand Handelian sopranos of her generation. But long before she made a name for herself in Baroque, she grew up idolising Maria Callas, with a steady diet of Bel Canto recordings inspiring her to become a singer.

“Callas was a huge influence,” Crowe told What’s On Stage. “I was badly bullied at school and found comfort and solace in singing along to her Vissi D’arte, Casta Diva, un bel di vedremo etc. Singing these pieces provided escapism and somehow put everything into perspective. Hearing the way she poured her heart and soul into each note was immensely powerful and I wanted to do the same.

“It was when putting on Mum’s greatest hits CD of Maria Callas that I really found as though I had discovered something special, and wanted to live in, and be a part of, that world,” she recalls. “I never really imagined I’d do anything else.”