Rising young tenor Jean-Michel Richer is a Curtis Institute of Music graduate and an Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal alumni, where he received the Mario Létourneau’s Excellence Award.

 

In 2017, Jean-Michel created the role of the Father of Pink (Etienne Dupuis) in Another Brick in the Wall – The Opera, directed by Cirque du Soleil LOVE director Dominic Champagne. Composed by rising Julien Bilodeau on the libretto of Pink Floyd Legend Roger Waters, the Opera de Montréal’s World Premiere conducted by Maestro Alain Trudel was a signature event of Montreal’s 375th anniversary, presented before close to 30 000 people and obtaining international reviews from USA’s Rolling Stone to France’s Figaro as well as specialized media.

 

Invited to sing again with Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin and l’Orchestre Métropolitain, Richer was an Esquire in a 5000 attendees concert version of Parsifal alongside Christian Elsner, Mihoko Fujimura, Peter Rose, Brett Polegato, Boaz Daniel and Thomas Goerz, for the closing event of the 40th Festival de Lanaudière.

 

Jean-Michel Richer also made multiple Opera debuts in USA and Canada in 2017. For Opera Lafayette in Washington DC and New York, NY, he interpreted Florestan in Léonore, ou l'amour conjugal directed by Oriol Tomas and conducted by Maestro Ryan Brown. For Saskatoon Opera, he sang Don Ottavio under the baton of Maestro Eric Paetkau. Jean-Michel also made his debuts at Pacific Opera Victoria under Maestro Tim Vernon and at Edmonton Opera under Maestro Giuseppe Petraroia in revivals of Serge Denoncourt’s acclaimed production of Les Feluettes.

 

In 2016, Jean-Michel starred with barytons Etienne Dupuis and Gino Quilico at Opéra de Montréal’s World Premiere of Kevin March & Michel-Marc Bouchard’s Les Feluettes. Directed by Serge Denoncourt, the opera about a men-love story was critically acclaimed:

 

“Simon and Vallier, the young lovers, had ardent advocates in Étienne Dupuis, a ringing baritone, and tenor Jean- Michel Richer.” – Arthur Kaptainis Montreal Gazette

 

«[translation: Revelation of the night, tenor Jean-Michel Richer is an ardent Vallier, inhabited by spleen and unforgettable when he declaims his love letter. » - Louis Bilodeau L’Avant-Scène Opera

 

Earlier in 2016, Jean-Michel made his Carnegie Hall, NY and Verizon Hall, Philadelphia debuts in Berio’s Sinfonia under Maestro Ludovic Morlot. He made his debut at Opera National de Lorraine as Gonzalvo in L’heure espagnole in a production directed by Bruno Ravella and conducted by Maestro Michael Balke. Finally, he also returned to Opéra de Montréal with Gordon Bintner, Daniel Okulitch, Layla Claire, Hélène Guilmette, Emily Dorn, Stephen Hegedus and Alain Coulombe in an All-Canadian cast of Mozart Don Giovanni, directed by David Lefkowitch and conducted by Maestro Jordan de Souza.

 

In 2015, he made his debut with l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal under Maestro Kent Nagano in the World Premiere recording of Ibert/Honegger’s french opera L’Aiglon, performing with Anne-Catherine Gillet, Marc Barrard, Étienne Dupuis, Philippe Sly, Julie Boulianne, Marianne Fiset and Hélène Guilmette. The Decca recording was primed as a Diapason d’or de l’année in Opera by Diapason magazine and the ECHO KLASSIK, Germany’s most esteemed classical music award, in the category “Opera recording (20th/21st century music). A few weeks later, he was co-starring with rising soprano Florie Valiquette in the Violons du Roy production of Zémire et Azor, conducted by Maestro Mathieu Lussier and directed by Oscar winner film director Denys Arcand. He also held Rodolfo in La Bohème and Chevalier Des Grieux in Manon with the Curtis Opera Theatre as well as being soloist for Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal in the 3rd Grand Mass of Bruckner at Festival de Lanaudière, conducted by Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

 

In addition to his Curtis Institute of Music graduate diploma and Atelier lyrique Residence, Jean-Michel holds a Master in Voice performance from Université de Montréal. Further studies at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute, and the Orford Arts Centre afforded him the opportunity to work with the likes of Marilyn Horne, Warren Jones, Michel Sénéchal, Joan Dornemann, Edith Bers, and Tom Krause.

 

Jean-Michel Richer is generously supported by the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation, allowing him to hone his vocal technique with Marlena Kleinman Malas in New York. He is represented by Aria Management in Paris. For any professional engagement, please contact Philippe Cuisinier at http://www.ariamanagement.com

 

Upcoming 2018 performances include François in Bernstein’s A quiet Place at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, USA, a song recital at Chapelle historique du Bon Pasteur in Montréal with longtime collaborator Marie-Ève Scarfone, the title role of Faust from Gounod with Maestro Jacques Lacombe and the Trois-Rivières Symphony and the reprisal of Another Brick in the Wall - the Opera at Cincinnati Opera with Maestro Alain Trudel.