Biography

Annick Massis (born Jacqueline Dubreuil; 31 January 1958) is a French operatic soprano whose career is primarily based in Europe. She performed roles from various classical music eras, spanning from baroque, operas by Mozart, to 19th-century Italian and French repertoire.

Jacqueline Dubreuil was born in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, to singer parents: mother specialising in operetta, father being a baritone in the Choir of Radio France. After obtaining double degree in history and English, she worked as a school teacher till 28, during which she took masterclasses and met her teacher Isabel Garcisanz. Two years later, Gabriel Dussurget, founder of the Aix-en-Provence Festival, introduced her to conductor Bernard Thomas, who engaged her in Great Mass in C minor and the entire oratorio repertoire after a simple audition. Her stage career began at the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse in 1991, and in the same season she performed in Mozart's La finta giardiniera as the title role at the Opéra de Nantes, which brought her to public attention. Other Mozart performances included Requiem, Exsultate, jubilate. She performed in Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the Festival de Castres, after which she entered the Conservatoire Francis Poulenc in Paris and obtained the First Prize in singing in two years.

In 1992, she performed Philine in Mignon at the Théâtre Impérial de Compiègne. In 1994, she made her Paris Opera debut as Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro at the Opéra Bastille. In 1995, she performed the role of Cunégonde in the first-ever French adaption of Bernstein's Candide, which premiered at the Opéra de Saint-Étienne and traveled to the Opéra Royal de Wallonie. In 1996, she participated in a new production of Hippolyte et Aricie under William Christie at the Palais Garnier.

Massis debuted at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1997 with Le comte Ory, embarking her international career. In 1997/98, she starred in Laurent Pelly's new production of Orphée aux enfers, opening the season, and performed Marie in La fille du régiment at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. In 1998, she stepped in for Ruth Ann Swenson at short notice as Ophélie in Hamlet at the Washington Concert Opera, followed by Lucia di Lammermoor and her first Leïla in Bizet's Les pêcheurs de perles in Toulouse.

The year 1999 saw her role debut as Elvira in I puritani at the Opéra d'Avignon, and her US debut with two performances of Lucia di Lammermoor at Staten Island and in New Jersey with Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, followed by the same role in Toulouse. She made her official Metropolitan Opera stage debut as Lucia in 2002. In October 1999, she performed in a concert performance of I Capuleti e i Montecchi at Avery Fisher Hall with the Opera Orchestra of New York. In 2000, she made her Liceu debut with Lucia. In 2004, she debuted as Violetta in La traviata at the Pittsburgh Opera. In December 2005, she made her Vienna State Opera debut with Lucia, and returned in the next season for Juliette and Violetta. In 2009, Annick Massis sang all four major soprano roles in a production of The Tales of Hoffmann at the Opéra de Nice. ...

Source: Article "Annick Massis" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.