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Born in Germany, the Italian mezzo-soprano Claudia Oddo gained her first stage experience at the age of 14 at the opera house of her native city, Bielefeld. There she received her ballet, piano and first vocal training. She performed as dancer, actress and chorus-singer in the theatre’s operas and ballets until she moved to Italy where she started her classical voice studies at the conservatory in Bologna. Internationally acclaimed singers and renowned musicians have so far contributed to Claudia Oddo’s career with their skills and tutelage, including: the tenors Giuliano Ciannella and William Matteuzzi, Placido Domingo; the pianists Roberto Negri and Dragan Babic in Italy; mezzo-soprano Anna Reynolds, baritone Alan Cemore, conductors Fausto Nardi and  Peter Meiser in Germany and currently the soprano and coach Yva Barthélémy in Paris.

While still a student, Claudia Oddo was acclaimed as one of the most talented students of the “Borgatti competition” in Ferrara, where she one a six-month scholarship to the Opera Studio Le Nozze di Figaro in the role of Marcellina under the directorship of C. Desderi. In 2001 she was among the prizewinners of the “Mythos”; a one-year opera programme for young singers at the opera house G. Verdi in Busseto, sponsored by the Foundation “A. Toscanini”. During this programme she made her opera debut as Grisette in F. Lehàr’s Die lustige Witwe (Ambrosini/ M. De Bernart/ theatre Salsomaggiore).

In 2002 other collaborations followed with the A. Toscanini Foundation, such as La Traviata (F. Zeffirelli/ P. Domingo/ opera house G. Verdi in Busseto/ broadcast on Italian TV channel Rai 1). Throughout 2003 Claudia Oddo appeared at numerous Italian summer festivals performing the role of Etty’s shadow in the modern Singspiel Il Canto di Etty, with the ensemble “La barakka pensante” under her own directorship and in co-operation with L. Lolli and G. Veroni. In 2004 other engagements included the roles of Maddalena and Giovanna, both in Rigoletto (Mecenate/ Ciciliati/ theatre D. Fabbrì, Forlì and tour of EMR’s theatres, director: tenor Giuliano Ciannella). Claudia Oddo made her German opera debut to great acclaim in 2005 (see critical reviews in “Opernwelt” issue: June 2005), singing the role of Paoluccia in N. Piccinni’s La Cecchina (S. Zeisberg-Meiser/ F. Nardi/ Schlosstheater Rheinsberg). In 2006 she won the role of Meg Page in G. Verdi’s Falstaff at the “International singing competition Rome Festival” for the summer  productions in Rome. In 2007 she interpreted the role of Dämonia in Humperdink’s Dornröschen (E. Klepp/ P. Meiser/ opera house Münster).

Claudia Oddo’s performances in concert and recital are an equally important part of her schedule. By the age of 21 she had already made her concert debut as a solo vocalist with the Quintetto Papa on the “Siate Parchi summer festival” EMR tour. Further concerts followed with specialised musicians and ensembles; such as with the Trio Archangeli (W. Matesic as organist) at the "Basilica dei Servi di Maria" in Bologna.

She currently performs arias ranging from the Baroque through to the Romantic periods, as well as pieces from contemporary composers. Forthcoming projects in Claudia Oddo’s schedule include a new CD to be recorded during the Summer of 2008, plus numerous concerts in Germany - see “Updates”.