Gabriel Bacquier

Considered one of the greatest baritone singers of his time, Gabriel Bacquier (b. Béziers, 1924) made a remarkable debut in Brussels in 1953 and in Paris in 1958, before reaching the international stage. Popular in the United States, he shone at the opera houses of Chicago and Philadelphia, then at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1964, where he sang in Samson et Dalila. His repertoire of French and Italian operas, melodies and operettas earned him a reputation as a "light French singer", which he compensated by premiering contemporary works( Gian Carlo Menotti'sLe Dernier sauvage in 1963). His performances in Pélléas et Mélisande, Les Contes d'Hoffmann and Don Giovanni were milestones, while the title role in the filmed opera Falstaff immortalized him in 1979. Retired from the stage in 1994, Gabriel Bacquier is no less active in teaching his knowledge at the Paris Conservatoire and the Monaco Academy of Music.

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.