Mezzo-soprano
“Female Singer of the Year” at the Opus Klassik awards in 2022 and laureate of the Prix de la Critique 2024? the French-Italian mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre is one of her generation’s most inspiring talents. Her scenic artistry and musicality have led her to appear at some of the world’s most prestigious venues.
During the 2026-2027 season, Lea Desandre performs at the Opéra National de Paris in the roles of Rosina Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) and of Idamante Idomeneo (Mozart). She is also back in concert halls alongside John Eliot Gardiner for a recital at the Luxemburg Philharmonie, alongside Raphaël Pichon for Mozart’s Great mass in C minor, in an European tour; she is also exploring prominent women figures along with Thomas Dunford and Jupiter, on a long American tour in the programme “Amazone”, and in their news programme “Manifest”, with which she is concluding her “Junge Wilde” residency at the Konzerthaus Dortmund. Furthermore, she continues her “Idylle” tour along with Thomas Dunford, in Spain, Germany and Switzerland.
Among the highlights of recent years, she distinguished herself in the titles roles of Mélisande (Debussy) at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, of Médée (Charpentier) as an “accomplished tragedienne” at the Palais Garnier, as well as Sesto La Clemenza di Tito (Mozart) at the Zürich Opera, but also as Cherubino Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart), Ariodante Ariodante (Haendel), Theodora Theodora (Haendel), Dido Dido and Aeneas (Purcell), Urbain Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer), Stéphano Roméo et Juliette (Gounod), Poppea Agrippina (Händel), Sapho/Iphise/Eglé Les Fêtes d’Hébé (Rameau).
Since 2018, she has performed every year at the Salzburg Festival, as Despina Cosi Fan Tutte (Mozart) Myrrah/Echo Hotel Metamophorsis (Vivaldi), Cherubino Les Noces de Figaro (Mozart), Annio La Clemenza di Tito (Mozart), Valletto/Amore L’Incoronazione di Poppea (Monteverdi), Abel La Morte d’Abel (Caldara) and in numerous recitals.
Her Love of chamber music and the diversity of her projects have led her to being invited on concert tours in the USA, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, Australia, and in Europe. From Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall LA, Staatsoper Berlin, Musikverein Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Paris Philharmonie, to the Aix en Provence Festival as well as the Wigmore Hall.
She performs in duo with Alexandre Kantorow and Thomas Dunford, as well as under the baton of William Christie, Gustavo Dudamel, Myung-Whun Chung, Joana Mallwitz, Antonello Manacorda, Manfred Honeck, Adam Fischer, Marc Minkowski and Emmanuelle Haïm… and in productions directed by Sir David McVicar, Barrie Kosky, Robert Carsen, Damiano Micheletto, Christof Loy, Jetske Mijnssen, Thomas Jolly.
Lea Desandre trained as a singer in Venice with Sara Mingardo. In 2015, she joined William Christie’s Le Jardin des Voix, and the Académie of the Aix-en-Provence Festival. She was named “Revelation of the Year” at the Victoires de la Musique Classique in 2017, and won the Prix HSBC and Prix des Médias Francophones Publics in 2018. As well as training as a singer, Lea Desandre trained as a ballet dancer for 12 years.
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