STÉPHANE DEGOUT
BARITONESTÉPHANE DEGOUT
BARITONE
ABOUT
“Breathtaking in dramatic intensity” (Forum Opéra), with a voice of “quicksilver agility and virile heft” (Chicago Classical Review), French baritone Stéphane Degout was a graduate of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon and member of the Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Lyon. Following his debut as Papageno at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, he rose rapidly to wide acclaim on the world’s major operatic stages, alongside forging a celebrated and distinctive career as a recitalist and concert singer renowned for the finesse and sensitivity he conveys in his interpretations of French melodie, German lied, and with a strong profile across baroque, Classical and Romantic repertoire.
During the 2023/24 season, Stéphane Degout returns to the Grand Théâtre de Genève for Don Carlos, Opéra Comique for L’autre voyage, a project built around Schubert’s lyrical works with regular collaborators Raphaël Pichon and the Ensemble Pygmalion, the Opéra National du Rhin in the title role of Magnard’s Guercoeur and the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse for the title role in Eugen Onegin. On the concert stage he rejoins the Orchestre de Paris, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de Espana, the Orchestre du Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie and the Gulbenkian Orchestra, in repertoire including Mendelssohn’s Elias, Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony, Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, and return to the role of the King in George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence, which he premiered at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.
Degout has performed regularly at the Opéra de Paris, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Opéra Comique, Berlin Staatsoper, La Monnaie, Theater an der Wien, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Bayerische Staatsoper, De Nationale Opera in Amsterdam, and Opernhaus Zurich, and his numerous festival appearances include Salzburg, Saint Denis, Glyndebourne, Edinburgh and Aix-en-Provence. Notable roles have included Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), Guglielmo (Cosi fan tutte), le Comte Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Oreste (Iphigénie en Tauride), Wolfram (Tannhaüser), Raimbaud (Le Comte Ory), Dandini (La Cenerentola), Thésée (Hippolyte et Aricie), Mercutio (Roméo et Juliette), Albert (Werther), Frank and Fritz (Die tote Stadt), Chorèbe (Les Troyens), Valentin (Faust), Rodrigue (Don Carlos), Ford (Falstaff), and the title roles in Thomas’ Hamlet, Conti’s Don Chisciotte, and both Monteverdi’s Orfeo and Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, One of the leading interpreters of Debussy’s Pelléas, he has recently added Golaud to his repertoire, as well as the title roles in Berg’s Wozzeck and Tchaikovsky’s Eugen Onegin. His dedication to the art has seen him perform numerous roles in operatic creations such as Benoît Mernier’s La Dispute and Philippe Boesmans’ Au Monde and Pinocchio.
As a recitalist, Stéphane Degout studied under the guidance of Ruben Lifschitz, and has given recitals across Europe with accompanists including Alain Planès, Simon Lepper and Cédric Tiberghien. He recently sang Schumann’s Dichterliebe at the Lausitz Festival with Martha Argerich. In concert, he has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Riccardo Muti and the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka Salonen. At La Monnaie he sang Fauré’s Requiem and Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder under Alain Altinoglu, works which he has also sung with the Orchestre National de France under Emmanuel Krivine. Other frequent conductor collaborations include René Jacobs, John Nelson, Nathalie Stutzmann, Raphaël Pichon, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Barbara Hannigan.
Stéphane Degout has recorded Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem (piano version), Fauré’s Requiem, La Bohème for Deutsche Grammophon, several CDs dedicated to the French song repertoire: ‘Mélodies’ for Naïve, ‘Histoires Naturelles’ and ‘Poèmes d’un Jour’ for B Records (ffff rating from Télérama), ‘Harmonies du Soir’ (Debussy), ‘Maurice Ravel’ for Harmonia Mundi. His collaboration with Harmonia Mundi has also resulted in ‘Enfers’ with Ensemble Pygmalion under Raphael Pichon (Diamant from Opéra Magazine, ffff from Télérama, Choc de Classica, International Opera Awards in solo recital recording), and most recently the album ‘Mein Traum’, focused on Schubert lieder and dramatic scenes. In 2023 B Records releases his recording of Brahms’ ‘La Belle Maguelone’. The recording of George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the ‘Best Opera Recording’ category.
In 2012 Degout was appointed ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ and also named ‘Lyrical Artist of the Year’ at the Victoires de la Musique Classique awards ceremony, an accolade which he won again in 2019. He was chosen as the ‘2018 Musical Personality of the Year’ by the Association Professionnelle de la Critique de Théâtre, Musique et Danse, and awarded ‘Male Singer of the Year’ at the 2022 International Opera Awards. A committed teacher and mentor, Stéphane Degout succeeded legendary baritone Jose van Dam as Master-in-Residence of the vocal section of Belgium’s Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel from the 2023-2024 season.
2023-2024 Season
RECENT PRAISE
Forum Opéra
Claude Jottrand
Musically, his performance (as Pelléas) is simply breathtaking in dramatic intensity, from the beginning to the end. His voice, which has a timbre that becomes richer and richer with time, dominates all of the role’s difficulties. His diction is perfect; one understands every word (proof that it is indeed possible!) and each word fully incarnates its meaning. It is an exemplary lesson in French singing!
THE SUNDAY TIMES
HUGH CANNING
The versatile French baritone Stéphane Degout is in his prime … This album celebrates his prowess as a baroque and early-classical singer … It is Degout’s superb account of Oreste’s “nightmare” sequence from Iphigénie en Tauride, where the Furies invoke a vision of his murdered mother, that makes this a collectors’ item. Degout’s Thésée from Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie is another commanding portrayal. The supporting cast in this immaculately planned album includes Stanislas de Barbeyrac in Gluck’s Armide. It is diabolically excellent.
THE GUARDIAN
TIM ASHLEY
A particularly fine performance from Stéphane Degout as the Count : Degout, a wonderfully patrician singer with a handsome, ringing tone, has an innate charm that can turn to menace in a flash: it’s a superbly accomplished characterisation.
The Chicago Classical Review
TLawrence A. Johnson
Stephane Degout, a memorable Papageno in Lyric Opera’s Magic Flute of 2011-12, proved equally inspired as the strange and doomed Pelleas. In addition to his idiomatic singing, the French baritone brought quicksilver agility and virile heft to a character that can often seem weak and effete. Degout was at his finest in the love scenes with Carlstedt’s Melisande, delivering ardent and impassioned vocalism.
NEWS
Vote Now! Calidore String Quartet, Degout and Pappano Nominated for the 2024 BBC Music Magazine Awards
Voting is open for the 2024 BBC Music Magazine Awards. The awards celebrate outstanding classical recordings across 9 categories from the previous year. This year’s nominees include Sir Antonio Pappano in the Opera category, Stéphane Degout in the Vocal category and Calidore String Quartet in the Chamber Music category. Click here…
Congratulations to our 2024 ICMA Nominees!
IMG Artists would like to congratulate our 2024 International Classical Music Awards Nominees! The finalists will be announced by 11 December. The winners of the prestigious ICMA Awards will be revealed on 18 January 2024. The Award Ceremony and Gala concert will take place at the Palau de la Musica
Stéphane Degout Named Vocal Section Master-in-Residence of Belgium’s Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel
Stéphane Degout is announced as 2023/24 Master-in-Residence of the vocal section at Belgium’s Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. He takes the role based on the recommendation of current Master-in-Residence, José van Dam, who will step down from the role after nearly twenty wonderful years. Degout, who will work alongside Sophie Koch,
Andsnes, Degout, Liebreich, Pappano and Piau Nominated for the 2023 Gramophone Awards
IMG Artists congratulates its artists shortlisted for the 2023 Gramophone Awards. Baritone Stéphane Degout, conductor Sir Antonio Pappano and soprano Sandrine Piau each earned two nominations. They are joined by conductor Alexander Liebreich, pianists Leif Ove Andnses and Mitsuko Uchida and bass-baritone Joel Allison. The prestigious awards will be announced
Congratulations to our Les Victoires de la Musique Classique 2023 Winners!
IMG Artists would like to congratulate Alexandra Marcellier, Christian Immler and Stéphane Degout for winning awards at this years Les Victoires de la Musique Classique! The awards ceremony was held last night (1 March) at Dijon Opera in France. Alexandra Marcellier won the ‘Révélation, Opera Singer’ award, whereas Immler and
Stéphane Degout Awarded ‘Male Singer of the Year’ at 2022 International Opera Awards
Baritone Stéphane Degout has been awarded ‘Male Singer of the Year’ at the 2022 International Opera Awards. Founded in 2013 by Harry Hayman, the International Opera Awards are an annual recognition of the excellence of opera from around the world. The awards are judged by a jury of industry professionals, led
Stéphane Degout Awarded ‘Male Singer of the Year’ at 2022 International Opera Awards
Baritone Stéphane Degout has been awarded ‘Male Singer of the Year’ at the 2022 International Opera Awards. Founded in 2013 by Harry Hayman, the International Opera Awards are an annual recognition of the excellence of opera from around the world. The awards are judged by a jury of industry professionals, led by Opera editor-in-chief
Stéphane Degout’s New Album “Mein Traum” Is Available Now
Stéphane Degout‘s new album Mein Traum, in collaboration with Raphaël Pichon, is available now on Harmonia Mundi. One morning in 1822, Schubert composed an enigmatic text in which all his ghosts seem to take shape: wandering, loneliness, consolation, unrequited love. Inspired by this dreamlike account, Raphaël Pichon and Degout have devised a
Stéphane Degout’s Hamlet Wins Diapason d’or de l’année
Stéphane Degout’s title role performance in Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet has won the prestigious Diapason d’or de l’année. The Cyril Teste production, available on DVD and Blu-Ray on Naxos, also stars Sabine Devieilhe, Laurent Alvaro and Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo. Louis Langrée conducts Les éléments Orchestre des Champs-Élysées. Maestro Langrée writes, “This production of Hamlet at the
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