Isabelle Druet (born 19 September 1979) is a French operatic

coloratura Coloratura is an elaborate melody with runs, trills, wide leaps, or similar virtuoso-like material,''Oxford American Dictionaries''.Apel (1969), p. 184. or a passage of such music. Operatic roles in which such music plays a prominent part, an ...

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

who has performed internationally. She began her career as an actress and co-founded a theatre company, La Carotte. She has performed in concert and recorded with the

ensemble Ensemble may refer to: Art * Architectural ensemble * ''Ensemble'' (album), Kendji Girac 2015 album * Ensemble (band), a project of Olivier Alary * Ensemble cast (drama, comedy) * Ensemble (musical theatre), also known as the chorus * ''En ...

Le Poème Harmonique Le Poème Harmonique is a musical ensemble founded in 1998 by Vincent Dumestre to recreate and promote early music, in particular that of the 17th century. Using rare instruments such as the theorbo, the lirone, the tiorbino and the arpa tripla, ...

. On stage, she has performed at opera houses in Paris, Nancy, Lyon and Düsseldorf, among others.

Career

Born in

Niort Niort (; Poitevin: ''Niàu''; oc, Niòrt; la, Novioritum) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department, western France. It is the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres. The population of Niort is 58,707 (2017) and more than 177,000 people live in the u ...

(

Deux-Sèvres Deux-Sèvres () is a French department. ''Deux-Sèvres'' literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department. It had a population of 374,878 in 2019.

), Druet started as an actress, taking theatre courses in high school in Salins-les-Baths. She then pursued a ''Diplôme d'études universitaires scientifiques et techniques'' (DEUST) (Diploma of scientific and technical university studies) degree in Besançon, studying at the

University of Franche-Comté The University of Franche-Comté (UFC) is a pluridisciplinary public French university located in Besançon, Franche-Comté, with decentralized campuses in Belfort, Montbéliard, Vesoul and Lons-le-Saunier. It is a founding member of the communi ...

. Though she sang in the university choir, her musical preferences were for

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

and

Indian music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk (Bollywood), rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed ove ...

. In 2000, she co-founded a theatre company based in

Besançon Besançon (, , , ; archaic german: Bisanz; la, Vesontio) is the prefecture of the department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerl ...

, La Carotte, where theatre, mime, music, dance and storytelling performances were mixed. Torn between theatre and music, she finally moved to Paris and studied music for two years in the 7th arrondissement before entering the National Conservatoire. Studying voice at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

, Druet graduated

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

in 2007. She obtained a master's degree, writing a thesis, ''La construction du personnage à l'opéra'', and attending

masterclass Yanka Industries, Inc., doing business as MasterClass, is an American online education subscription platform on which students can access tutorials and lectures pre-recorded by experts in various fields. The concept for MasterClass was conceiv ...

es with

René Jacobs René Jacobs (born 30 October 1946) is a Belgian musician. He came to fame as a countertenor, but later in his career he became known as a conductor of baroque and classical opera. Biography Countertenor Born in Ghent, Jacobs began his music ...

and

Agnès Mellon Agnès Mellon (born 17 January 1958) is a French soprano who specializes in baroque music. Biography Agnès Mellon started her career in 1981 with the baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants, directed by William Christie, with whom, between ...

, among others. In June 2007 she won a first prize in singing with unanimous praise from the jury at the Conservatoire in Isabelle Guillaud's class. That same year, she was elected in the category "Révélation classique lyrique" of the Adami. Simultaneously with her final two years at the Conservatoire, Druet performed in the

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienne ...

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...

Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a s ...

, as well as at regional festivals. Among her roles were Zaïde in ''Europa Galante'' by

André Campra André Campra (; baptized 4 December 1660 – 29 June 1744) was a French composer and conductor of the Baroque era. The leading French opera composer in the period between Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau, Campra wrote several '' tra ...

under the direction of William Christie, which toured in 2005; playing the sorceress in ''Dido and Aeneas'', singing roles in '' The Clemency of Titus'', and playing in the Conservatoire's productions of '' Eugène Onegin'' as Mme Larina and in Handel's

Alcina ''Alcina'' ( HWV 34) is a 1735 opera seria by George Frideric Handel. Handel used the libretto of ''L'isola di Alcina'', an opera that was set in 1728 in Rome by Riccardo Broschi, which he acquired the year after during his travels in Italy. P ...

as Ruggiero, among many other performances. In 2008, she was awarded second place in the

Queen Elisabeth Competition The Queen Elisabeth Competition ( nl, Koningin Elisabethwedstrijd, french: Concours musical international Reine Élisabeth) is an international competition for career-starting musicians held in Brussels. The competition is named after Queen ...

in Brussels, Belgium and sang at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

in New York City with the baroque ensemble, Les Arts Florissants under the direction of William Christie. The following year, she co-created with

Marc Mauillon Marc Mauillon (born in 1980) is a 21st-century French singer, sometimes tenor, sometimes baritone. Biography Born in Montbéliard, Mauillon was nominated in the "Révélation Artiste Lyrique" category of the Victoires de la musique classique 20 ...

a presentation for the Emergence Festival. Premiering together, they performed ''La Valse perdue'' (The Lost Waltz) by

Jacques Offenbach Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera '' ...

at the Musical Theater of Besançon. The duo continued to perform together, singing at the concert of the Revelations of Victories in 2010, when each of them were awarded the distinction of "laureate" in the

Victoires de la musique classique The Victoires de la musique classique (; en, "Victories of Classical Music") are an annual French classical music award event founded in 1986. The awards are the classical equivalent of the popular music awards Victoires de la Musique and the Victo ...

. After touring throughout Europe, performing both operatic roles and singing baroque lyric concert music, Druet made her US orchestral debut performing with the

Detroit Symphony Orchestra The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Jader Bignamini is the current music d ...

in 2015. Combining music from two different composers, Argentine

Alberto Ginastera Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentinian composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas. Biography Ginastera was born in Buen ...

and French

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

, the concert under the direction of

Leonard Slatkin Leonard Edward Slatkin (born September 1, 1944) is an American conductor, author and composer. Early life and education Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a Jewish musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His fat ...

was praised for the thoughtful presentation. Druet was praised for her passionate performance in Ravel's ''Two Hebraic Melodies'', based upon an Aramaic version of the

Kaddish Kaddish or Qaddish or Qadish ( arc, קדיש "holy") is a hymn praising God that is recited during Jewish prayer services. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the liturgy, different version ...

. Particularly noted was her performance in Ravel's ''Sheharazade'', for her "intelligent phrasing that was seemingly attuned to every nuance embedded in the text".

Opera

In 2010, Druet performed the role of Arcabonne in Lully's '' Amadis''. In 2011, she appeared in the title role of Bizet's ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

'' at both the

opéra national de Lorraine The Opéra national de Lorraine is a French opera company and opera house, located in the city of Nancy, France in the province of Lorraine, Lorraine, France. Formerly named the ''Opéra de Nancy et de Lorraine'', the company received the statu ...

in Nancy and at the

Deutsche Oper am Rhein The Deutsche Oper am Rhein (German Opera on the Rhine) is an opera company based in Düsseldorf and Duisburg. The opera also has an associated classical ballet company. Axel Kober has been its Music Director since 2009. The resident orchestra, th ...

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

. She sang the title role of Rossini's ''

L'italiana in Algeri ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (; ''The Italian Girl in Algiers'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca. It premiered at the Teatro San ...

'' in Metz. She appeared as Dido in Purcell's ''

Dido and Aeneas ''Dido and Aeneas'' (Z. 626) is an opera in a prologue and three acts, written by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell with a libretto by Nahum Tate. The dates of the composition and first performance of the opera are uncertain. It was co ...

''. Druet made her debut at the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...

in 2011 as the Page in ''

Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμη), also known as Salome III, was a Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II, son of Herod the Great, and princess Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great, an ...

'' by Richard Strauss. In 2013, she was Orphée in Gluck's ''

Orphée et Eurydice ' (; French: '; English: ''Orpheus and Eurydice'') is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck, based on the myth of Orpheus and set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the '' azione teatrale'', meaning an ...

'' in the revised version by

Hector Berlioz In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

at the , alongside Marion Tassou as Eurydice. She appeared as Concepción in Ravel's ''

L'heure espagnole ''L'heure espagnole'' is a French one-act opera from 1911, described as a ''comédie musicale'', with music by Maurice Ravel to a French libretto by Franc-Nohain, based on Franc-Nohain's 1904 play ('comédie-bouffe') of the same nameStoullig E. '' ...

'' in

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

, which was recorded, and as Baba Turk in Britten's ''

The Rake's Progress ''The Rake's Progress'' is an English-language opera from 1951 in three acts and an epilogue by Igor Stravinsky. The libretto, written by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, is based loosely on the eight paintings and engravings ''A Rake's Progres ...

''. She has appeared at the

as Tisbe in Rossini's ''

La Cenerentola ' (''Cinderella, or Goodness Triumphant'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the libretti written by Charles-Guillaume Étienne for the opera '' Cendrillon'' ...

'', as Annina in Verdi's ''

La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...

'', and as Ciesca in Puccini's ''

Gianni Schicchi () is a comic opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, composed in 1917–18. The libretto is based on an incident mentioned in Dante's ''Divine Comedy''. The work is the third and final part of Puccin ...

''.

Concert

Druet began performing with the ensemble

, as the group allowed her to explore her interest in a variety of music styles. In 2010, she was featured in a production of ''

Cadmus et Hermione ''Cadmus et Hermione'' is a ''tragédie en musique'' in a prologue and five acts by Jean-Baptiste Lully. The French-language libretto is by Philippe Quinault, after Ovid's ''Metamorphoses''. It was first performed on 27 April 1673 by the Paris Op ...

'' by Lully at the Opéra Comique accompanied by Le Poème Harmonique and

Vincent Dumestre Vincent Dumestre (born 5 May 1968) is a French lutenist. In 1997 he founded the ensemble Le Poème Harmonique. He studied the classical guitar at the École Normale de Musique de Paris and art history at the École du Louvre. Afterwards he dedi ...

. Druet appeared in concert with Le Poème Harmonique, performing and recording rarities such as music by Luis de Briceño and his contemporaries. In ''Firenze 1616'', they focused on Domenico Belli's '' Orfeo dolente'', and music of his time by

Claudio Saracini Claudio Saracini (1 July 1586 – 20 September 1630) was an Italian composer, lutenist, and singer of the early Baroque era. He was one of the most famous and distinguished composers of monody. Life Saracini was born to a noble family, pr ...

Giulio Caccini Giulio Romolo Caccini (also Giulio Romano) (8 October 1551 – buried 10 December 1618) was an Italian composer, teacher, singer, instrumentalist and writer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was one of the founders of the genre ...

and

Cristofano Malvezzi Cristofano Malvezzi (baptised June 28, 1547 – January 22, 1599) was an Italian organist and composer of the late Renaissance. He was one of the most famous composers in the city of Florence during a time of transition to the Baroque style. ...

. She recorded Shakespeare Songs with pianist Anne Le Bozec, works inspired by characters from plays such as

Juliet Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist R ...

and

Desdemona Desdemona () is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a Moorish Venetian ...

, including songs by

Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

Castelnuovo-Tedesco Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (3 April 1895 – 16 March 1968) was an Italian composer, pianist and writer. He was known as one of the foremost guitar composers in the twentieth century with almost one hundred compositions for that instrument. In ...

Korngold Erich Wolfgang Korngold (May 29, 1897November 29, 1957) was an Austrian-born American composer and conductor. A child prodigy, he became one of the most important and influential composers in Hollywood history. He was a noted pianist and compo ...

, the ballad "La mort d'Ophélie" by Saint-Saëns and ''Five Ophelia Songs'' by

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...

. A review notes her "fine, cultured voice", in four languages.

Awards

* 2007: Révélation Adami (Lyric artist revelation) of the , Paris * 2008: Second prize of the

, Brussels * 2010:

– Laureate in the category "Lyric artist revelation"

Discography

* 2004 ''Plaisir d'amour'' with Le Poème Harmonique (CD ALPHA 513) * 2008 Queen Elisabeth Competition in singing (CD CMIREB) * 2007 ''Firenze 1616'' with Le Poème Harmonique (CD ALPHA) * 2008 Lully's ''

'' with Le Poème Harmonique (DVD ALPHA701) * 2010 Monteverdi & Marazzoli: ''Combattimenti! – Poème Harmonique'' with Le Poème Harmonique (CD ALPHA172) * 2010 Mozart: ''

Die Zauberflöte ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that includ ...

'' (Third Lady), with

(CD Harmonia Mundi HMC 902068.70) * 2011 Luis de Briceño: ''El Fenix de Paris'' with Le Poème Harmonique (CD ALPHA) * 2011 ''Jardin Nocturne''; Mélodies by Berlioz, Chausson, Fauré, Hahn, Halphen, Massenet and Poulenc with Johanne Ralambondrainy, piano (CD Aparté). * 2011

Sébastien de Brossard Sébastien de Brossard, pronounced e.bɑs.tjẽ də brɔ.saːr (12 September 1655 – 10 August 1730) was a French music theorist, composer and collector. Life Brossard was born in Dompierre, Orne. After studying philosophy and theology a ...

: ''Oratorios and Léandro'' with La Rêveuse (CD Mirare MIR125 * 2012 Lully: '' Phaéton'', live at

Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by acoustician Gustave Lyon together with architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed in 1927 by ...

* 2013 Bizet: ''

Le docteur Miracle ''Le docteur Miracle'' (''Doctor Miracle'') is an opérette in one act by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto, by Léon Battu and Ludovic Halévy, is based on Sheridan's play ''Saint Patrick's Day''. Bizet wrote the work when he was j ...

'' (DVD) * 2013 Lully, Campra, Marie Mancini: ''Presque Reine, Le premier amour de Louis XIV''. Éditions Eveil et Découvertes Livre-disque; Musical tale by Damien Pouvreau. * Révolutions 1830-1848-1870 * Clérambault: ''Miserere'', Couperin: ''

Leçons de ténèbres Leçons de ténèbres ( 'lessons of darkness'; sometimes spelled Leçons des ténèbres) is a genre of French Baroque music which developed from the polyphonic lamentations settings for the tenebrae service of Renaissance composers such as Serm ...

'' (

) (CD Alpha)Bizet: Le Docteur Miracle
chandos.net * 2016 ''Shakespeare Songs'' with Anne Le Bozec (CD NoMadMusic)

References

External links

www.rsbartists.com *
Isabelle Druet
Operabase

''

Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...

'', 13 December 2017
Isabelle Druet
Opéra national de Paris
Recordings with Isabelle Druet
arkivmusic.com
French mezzo soprano Isabelle Druet makes American Orchestral debut
''The Oakland Press,'' 6 April 2015
D’ombre et de lumière – Une interview d’Isabelle Druet
concertclassic.com, 2011
Isabelle Druet
opera-online.com
Isabelle Druet: Clair de lune by Fauré
on YouTube
La Carotte
– her theatre company
Isabelle Druet / chanteuse lyrique (mezzo-soprano)
francemusique.fr {{DEFAULTSORT:Druet, Isabelle People from Niort 1979 births Living people 21st-century French singers French operatic mezzo-sopranos Conservatoire de Paris alumni Prize-winners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 21st-century French women singers