Annick Massis

Annick Massis (born Jacqueline Dubreuil; ; born 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.

Biography 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 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.

In 2007, she performed Eudoxie in Pierre Audi's new production of La Juive at the Opéra Bastille. Later in the year, she returned to the Metropolitan Opera for Lucia di Lammermoor, sharing the title role with Natalie Dessay in Mary Zimmerman's new production.

In the 2013/14 season at the Liceu, she portrayed the Fairy in Massenet's Cendrillon alongside Joyce DiDonato, and subsequently performed in La sonnambula.

In 2016, Massis debuted in the title role in Maria Stuarda in concert form at the Opéra de Marseille, and then at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.

In 2019 she performed Mithilde in the critically acclaimed Guillaume Tell in July at the Chorégies d'Orange.

Awards Massis was named Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2007. In the same year, she was awarded Siola d'oro Award.

Discography

Complete operas CD Bizet: Les pêcheurs de perles, Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice, Marcello Viotti, Dynamic Boïeldieu: La dame blanche, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Marc Minkowski, EMI Donizetti: Elvida, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Antonello Allemandi, Opera Rara Donizetti: Francesca di Foix, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Antonello Allemandi, Opera Rara Ibert: Persée et Andromède, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Jan Latham-Koenig, Avie Händel: La resurrezione, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski, Archiv Meyerbeer: Margherita d'Anjou, London Philharmonic Orchestra, David Parry, Opera Rara Mozart: Lucio Silla, Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice, Tomas Netopil, Dynamic Pacini: Paventa Insano, London Philharmonic Orchestra, dir. David Parry, Opera Rara Rameau: Anacréon, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski, Archiv Rossini: Matilde di Shabran, Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia, Riccardo Frizza, Decca Rossini: L'inganno felice, Le Concert des Tuileries, Marc Minkowski, Erato Thomas: Mignon, Ensemble Orchestral Harmonia Nova, Stéphane Denève, Accord DVD Mozart: Lucio Silla, Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice, Tomas Netopil, Dynamic Bizet: Les pêcheurs de perles, Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice, Marcello Viotti, Dynamic Rossini: Le comte Ory, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Davis, NVC Arts