Jean-François Lapointe Explained

Jean-François Lapointe is a Canadian baritone opera singer.

Career

Born in the region of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, Jean-François Lapointe first studied piano and violin and, at the age of 16, devoted himself entirely to singing. He worked under the direction of Louise André at Université Laval in Quebec City, where he obtained a master's degree in Interpretation, before pursuing advanced studies in the United States with Martial Singher. He has received many awards, including three at the prestigious Concours international de chant de Paris.

Since his stage debut at the age of 17, Jean-François Lapointe has sung more than sixty roles in numerous major opera houses around the world.Highly regarded as a lyric baritone for his many major roles in that repertoire, he became famous for his performance of the eponymous role in Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet, in Copenhagen, Trieste and Geneva, as well as of Mercutio (Roméo et Juliette) in Cincinnati, Orange and Tokyo. He also sang the role of Valentin (Faust) a great many times over his career, namely in Turin, Madrid, Monte-Carlo, as well as Orange in August 2008. More recently, he sang the role of Albert (Werther) in the Théatre de la Monnaie in Brussels. Over the past few seasons, Jean-François Lapointe made his debut in the roles of Chorèbe, (Les Troyens) in Geneva, Escamillo, (Carmen), in Lausanne, France and in Japan, and of Zurga, (Les pêcheurs de perles), at the Opera of Toulon, in January 2009.

His performance of Pelléas (2005) in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande became a career-defining moment, a role he sang in North America (including Toronto and Cincinnati) as well as Europe: he worked under the direction of Yannis Kokkos in Bordeaux, Toulouse and at la Scala of Milan in November 2005. The Parisian audience saw his Pelléas in June 2007, under the direction of Bernard Haitink, in Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.

Jean-François Lapointe is also known for his dedication at championing neglected operatic works. He thus took part in the première of Bernstein's Candide to a French libretto, and went on to perform the role in France and throughout Europe. He also collaborated to the re-creation of Mârouf, savetier du Caire, at the Opera of Marseille, and to the production of La jolie fille de Perth in Compiègne (France).

Thanks to his stage presence and his acting skills, he achieved great success in the operetta repertoire, performing the roles of Brissac, (Les mousquetaires au couvent), to great acclaim in Toulouse, le Vice-roi du Pérou (la Périchole) in Marseille and Nancy, and especially Danilo, (La veuve joyeuse) in Montréal, Bordeaux, Liège and Lausanne.

Though a noted performer of the French opera repertoire, Jean-François Lapointe also made his mark in the Italian and Russian repertoire: he sang Figaro (Le Barbier de Seville) at the Opéra Comédie, Count Almaviva (Les Noces de Figaro) in Nancy and Don Giovanni in Trieste. He recently added the role of Prince Eletski to his repertoire, in Pikovaya Dama, which he performed at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo with conductor Dmitri Jurowski and stage director Guy Joosten.

Productions since 2005

2004

Fieramosca, Benvenuto Cellini, Hector Berlioz, Paris

2005

Le Vice-Roi du Pérou, La Périchole, J. Offenbach, Montpellier
Valentin, Faust, C. Gounod, Monaco
Danilo, The Merry Widow, F. Lehár, Marseille
Danilo, La Veuve joyeuse, F. Lehár, Bordeaux
Pelléas, Pelléas et Mélisande, C. Debussy, Glasgow
Pelléas, Pelléas et Mélisande, C. Debussy, Edimburg
Pelléas, Pelléas et Mélisande, C. Debussy, Milan
Andrews, Titanic, M. Yeston, Liège

2006

Andrews, Titanic, M. Yeston, Charleroi
Hamlet, Hamlet, A. Thomas, Genève
Danilo, La Veuve joyeuse, F. Lehár, Liège
Valentin, Faust, C. Gounod, Liège
Figaro, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Rossini, Paris (Opéra-Comique)
Il Comte Almaviva, Le Nozze di Figaro, W.A. Mozart, Nancy
Danilo, La Veuve Joyeuse, F. Lehár, Lausanne

2007

Pelléas, Pelléas et Mélisande, C. Debussy, Toulon
Pelléas, Pelléas et Mélisande, C. Debussy, Liège
Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni, W. A. Mozart, Trieste
Pelléas, Pelléas et Mélisande, C. Debussy, Paris (Théâtre des Champs-Elysées)
Chorèbe, Les Troyens, H. Berlioz, Genève
Albert, Werther, J. Massenet, Bruxelles

2008

Escamillo, Carmen, G. Bizet, Lausanne, Vichy
Direction musicale, La Belle Hélène, Offenbach, Rimouski (Quebec)
Valentin, Faust, C. Gounod, Orange
Escamillo, Carmen, G. Bizet, Japan

2009

Zurga, Les Pêcheurs de perles, G. Bizet, Toulon
Claudio, Béatrice et Bénédict, H. Berlioz, Paris (Théâtre des Champs-Elysées)
Eletski, La Dame de pique, P.I. Tchaikovski, Monaco
Escamillo, Carmen, G. Bizet, Hyogo, Tokyo, Nagoya
Pelléas, Pelléas et Mélisande, C. Debussy, Rome
Landry, Fortunio, A. Messager, Paris (Opéra Comique)

2010

Ford, Falstaff, G. Verdi, Paris (TCE)
Chorèbe, Les Troyens, H. Berlioz, Amsterdam
Énée, Dido and Æneas, H. Purcell, Lausanne, Vichy
Direction musicale, Carmen, G. Bizet, Rimouski (Quebec)
Escamillo, Carmen, G. Bizet, Barcelona
Chorèbe, Les Troyens, H. Berlioz, Berlin

2011

Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni, W.A. Mozart, Marseille
Nevers, Les Huguenots, G. Meyerbeer, Bruxelles
Oreste, Iphigénie en Tauride, C.W. von Glück, Amsterdam
Eugène Onéguine, Eugene Onegin, P.I. Tchaikovski, Quebec
Raimbaud, Le Comte Ory, G. Rossini, Genève

2012

L'Horloge comtoise / Le Chat, L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, M. Ravel, Monaco
Garrido, La Navarraise, J. Massenet, Monaco
Ford, Falstaff, G. Verdi, Quebec
Zurga, Les Pêcheurs de perles, G. Bizet, Amsterdam
Escamillo, Carmen, G. Bizet, Marseille
Amrou, Le Mage, J. Massenet, St-Étienne
Giorgio Germont, La Traviata, G. Verdi, Frankfurt

2013

Giorgio Germont, La Traviata, G. Verdi, Frankfurt
Duparquet, Ciboulette, R Hahn, Paris (Opéra Comique)
Marquis de la Force, Dialogues des Carmélites, F. Poulenc, Toronto
Marc-Antoine, Cléopâtre, J. Massenet, Marseille
Le Grand Prêtre, Alceste, C.W. von Glück, Paris (Palais Garnier)
Alphonse XI, La Favorite, G. Donizetti, Monaco, Paris (Théâtre des Champs-Élysées)

2014

Albert, Werther, J. Massenet, Paris (Bastille)
Golaud, Pelléas et Mélisande, C. Debussy, Angers, Nantes
Le mari, Les Mamelles de Tirésias, F. Poulenc, London (Barbican)
Giorgio Germont, La Traviata, G. Verdi, Marseille
Golaud, Pelléas et Mélisande, C. Debussy, Helsinki
Pharaon, Moïse et Pharaon, G. Rossini, Marseille

2015

L'Horloge Comtoise / Le Chat, L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, M. Ravel, Stockholm
L'Horloge Comtoise / Le Chat, L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, M. Ravel, Paris (Philharmonie)
Valentin, Faust, C. Gounod, Paris (Bastille)
Germont, La Traviata, G. Verdi, Berlin (Deutsche Oper)
Hamlet, Hamlet, A. Thomas, Avignon
Ford, Falstaff, G. Verdi, Marseille
Guillaume Tell, Guillaume Tell, G. Rossini, Genève
Marquis de la Force, Dialogues des Carmélites, F. Poulenc, Amsterdam

2016

Bardi, Dante, B. Godard, Munich, Versailles
Germont, La Traviata, G. Verdi, Tampa (Floride)
Siméon, L'Enfant prodigue, C. Debussy + L'Horloge Comtoise / Le Chat, L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, M. Ravel, Paris (Radio France)
Zurga, Les Pêcheurs de perles, G. Bizet, Nancy
Enrico, Lucia di Lammermoor, G. Donizetti, Nancy
Hamlet, Hamlet, A. Thomas, Marseille
Monsieur Beaucaire, Monsieur Beaucaire, A. Messager, Paris (Opéra Comique)
Albert, Werther, J. Massenet, Bologne

2017

Wolfram, Tannhäuser, R. Wagner, Monaco
Rodrigo, Don Carlo, G. Verdi, Marseille
Ben, Le Téléphone, GC Menotti, Saint-Eustache (Québec)
Alphonse XI, La Favorite, G. Donizetti, Marseille
Benvenuto Cellini, Ascanio, C. Saint-Saëns, Genève