Voices of the Massy Opera
Over the course of its seasons, the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy) has demonstrated not only its expertise in discovering new talent, but also its capacity for hosting the legends of the opera world.
Teresa Berganza's Spanish class
The great mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza was one of the attendees at the opera house's inauguration on October 9, 1993. She left a delightful message in Jack-Henri Soumère's guestbook, describing her "wonderful memory of this beautiful theater's inauguration."
"My desires change as life makes me grow and change."
Everyone at Massy is very familiar with Nathalie Manfrino's talents as a performer and her very unique vocal timbre. In 2012, she paid tribute to the heroines of Jules Massenet, the renowned French composer, on the centenary of his passing. Winner of the New Voices (Voix Nouvelles) award from the French Center for the Promotion of Opera (Centre Français de Promotion Lyrique), she also played the role of "Manon" in 2009 and Micaëla in "Carmen" in 2011.
Dame Felicity Lott
A guest on the most prestigious stages, Dame Felicity Lott is not only a custodian of an immense operatic tradition, but also a great ambassador for French music: Fauré, Poulenc, Messager, and others shine brightly through her. In 2014, she sang on stage at the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy), accompanied by Isabelle Moretti on the harp. Always deeply committed to passing on her knowledge, in 2020, she gave a masterclass to singers in the Opera Fuoco ensemble and the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy) youth choir.
Florian Laconi
Winner of the New Voice (Voix Nouvelles) competition in 2002, Florian Laconi then went on to be nominated at the 13th Victories of Classical Music (Victoires de la Musique Classique) awards in the "Breakthrough Singer of the Year" category in 2006. At Massy, he played the Chevalier des Grieux in "Manon" in 2009, Don José in "Carmen" in 2011, Hoffmann in "The Tales of Hoffmann" ("Les Contes d'Hoffmann) in 2011, and even Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet" in 2014. He has also performed a number of recitals of great opera arias, for example in 2017 when he performed alongside Jean-Pierre Furlan and Christophe Berry.
Always ready, no matter what !
In May 2017, the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy) was in the middle of a production of "All Women Do It" ("Cossi Fan Tutte"). The tenor playing Ferrando found out in the morning that he would be unable to sing that afternoon. Florian Laconi was in Metz at the time, but he hit the road immediately. His wife drove while he revised the sheet music. The show began at 4 p.m., and Laconi was on stage at 3:55 p.m.! On that day, the audience witnessed a truly unique performance: the tenor played his role on stage, as Florian Laconi sang the score from a music stand in the wings!
"If you have the drive and the support, you can achieve your dreams"
In 2017, Eléonore Pancrazi took on the role of Cherubino in "The Marriage of Figaro" ("Le Nozze di Figaro") for the first time at the Clermont-Ferrand Opera (Opéra de Clermont-Ferrand), then at the Saint-Céré Festival (Festival de Saint-Céré), and then again in December 2018 at the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy). Whilst en route to rehearsals in Massy, her agent told her the good news: she had been nominated in the "Breakthrough Singer of the Year" category at the Victories of Classical Music (Victoires de la Musique Classique) awards! She won the prize a few months later.
Did you know that, even before that, Eléonore Pancrazi was a great ambassador for opera? Here she is in 2013, sharing her passion with the children at the Jean Merlette school in Brunoy.
Barbara Hendricks: "Open your eyes and go towards the light"
Barbara Hendricks needs no introduction. This incredibly talented soprano first graced the stage at the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy) in 1996. In this photo, we see Hendricks alongside the opera director, Jack-Henri Soumère, and the Mayor of Massy, Vincent Delahaye. She returned in 2016 for a recital dedicated to Lamenti and Spirituals. On the evening in question, after a standing ovation and encore from the audience, the singer thanked them in perfect French, expressing how deeply moved she was to perform once again in that theater, with its wonderful acoustics.
Don Giovanni forever!
On October 22, 1999, Ruggiero Raimondi stopped by the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy) for an exceptional recital. Raimondi, who will forever be associated with the role of Don Giovanni in Joseph Losey's famous film, is shown here with Vincent Delahaye, Mayor of Massy, and Michel Berson, President of the Essonne General Council.
Operatic lineage
On October 22, 2019, Julien Dran played the womanizing Duke of Mantua in "Rigoletto" for the first time. His excellent interpretation of the role was a huge hit with audiences. Over the years, regulars at the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy) have had the pleasure of following the career of this tenor, known for his powerful voice, and his family connections to opera: his parents and siblings are also singers. His most noteworthy roles on our stage include Ruiz in "The Troubadour" ("Il Trovatore") in 2010, the First Commissioner in "Dialogues of the Carmelites" ("Dialogues des Carmélites") in 2012, Fenton in "Falstaff" in 2013, Nadir in "The Pearl Fishers" ("Les Pêcheurs de Perles") in 2014, and even Edgardo in "Lucia di Lammermoor" in 2016.
Leïla, Juliet, and Vannina !
In 2014, Vannina Santoni played Leïla in "The Pearl Fishers" ("Les Pêcheurs de Perles") at the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy). Here she also performed the role of Juliet for the first time in Gounod's "Romeo and Juliet." Vannina Santoni's career went on to include performances on some of the world's most prestigious stages, including the Champs-Elysées Theater (Théâtre des Champs-Elysées), the Paris Opera (Opéra de Paris), La Scala in Milan, and more… "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” Vannina Santoni is shown here rehearsing the celebrated balcony scene !
A double success
In the space of just a few years, Jean-Pierre Furlan played two major roles on stage at the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy): Verdi's Othello (title role) in 2015, and Samson in Saint-Saëns' "Samson and Delilah" ("Samson et Dalila") in 2018. Unparalleled in terms of their vocal demands, these two intense roles require great experience and vocal maturity.
The Massy Opera youth choir
Since 2017, the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy) has offered professional training for talented young people. Every season, artists from a variety of backgrounds (such as singing, directing, elocution, dance and more) prepare them for two choral performances as a part of the in-house productions. In 2019, the youth choir gave a particularly standout performance of Gluck's "Orpheus and Eurydice" ("Orfeo ed Euridice").
Virtual exhibition created and written by Eugénie Boivin for the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy).
This exhibition is dedicated to all the artists who have graced our stage since the Massy Opera (Opéra de Massy) first opened its doors. "Citius, Altius, Fortius" ("faster, higher, stronger"). Thank you.
Thank you also to all the photographers (from the Massy Photo Club and elsewhere) who help us to preserve keepsakes from our opera house's greatest moments.
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