Anouk Defontenay
French mezzo-soprano Anouk Defontenay has rapidly established herself as one of the most promising young voices on the French early music scene. Appreciated for the warmth of her timbre, the elegance of her phrasing and her expressive stage presence, she has developed a repertoire spanning Baroque opera, French music and the great sacred works, collaborating with many of today’s leading period ensembles and conductors.
She received her vocal training with Rosa Dominguez in the adult choir of the Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris, where she developed a strong foundation in both sacred and early repertoire. In 2023, she was named a laureate of the Fonds Tutti, appearing in the foundation’s gala concert at the Amphithéâtre Bastille alongside internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine. She is also a laureate of the prestigious Fondation Royaumont, where she continues to refine her artistry.
On the operatic stage, Anouk has already appeared at several major European venues. She performed the roles of the Naïade and Bergère héroïque in Lully’s Armide at the Teatro Real Madrid, the Philharmonie de Paris and the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse, before reprising the production at the Opéra Royal de Versailles and the Opéra de Dijon as La Nymphe des Eaux and La Bergère héroïque. Her recent appearances also include the Third Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at the Festival de Royaumont, Mère Jeanne in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites at Opéra de Massy, the title role of L’Enfant in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortilèges at the Festival Musica Nigella, and Juditha in Vivaldi’s Juditha Triumphans in Nice.
Alongside her operatic activities, Anouk is an increasingly sought-after concert soloist. Recent highlights include Duruflé’s Requiem at Salle Gaveau, Bach’s St John Passion in Paris and Clermont-Ferrand, Monteverdi’s Selva morale e spirituale in Kraków, and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater in Massy and Montmin. Her musical curiosity and stylistic versatility have made her a regular guest of many of France’s foremost period ensembles.
She collaborates frequently with Ensemble Pygmalion under Raphaël Pichon, Le Poème Harmonique with Vincent Dumestre, Les Paladins under Jérôme Correas, and Ensemble Aïgal, establishing herself as an emerging specialist of the Baroque repertoire.
Highlights of the last season include Third Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in Bordeaux, the Second Witch in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas in Kraków and Utrecht, the title role in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortilèges in Montfort-l’Amaury, Castagnet’s Magnificat at Notre-Dame de Paris and in Saarbrücken, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater at the Festival de Saint-Denis, and Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine at the Festival de Vézelay.
Upcoming engagement include Pâquette in Bernstein’s Candide at Opéra National de Lorraine and Grand Théâtre du Luxembourg, Dunyasha in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Tsar’s Bride at Opéra National de Bordeaux.
Representation : General Management
