Véronique Gens is one of France’s best loved sopranos, enjoying a distinguished career in opera, concert, recitals and recordings, and recognised for her interpretations of Mozart and of French repertory. Her appearance as Donna Elvira at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence with Claudio Abbado brought her worldwide recognition and since then she has appeared on the world’s leading operatic stages and on more than 80 recordings. Her numerous awards include the rank of Chevalier in La Légion d’honneur. She will lead the Samling Artist Programme this summer for the first time and will sing Hector Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été at The Glasshouse with Royal Northern Sinfonia in June.
My earliest musical memory is…
When I was around four, listening to a children’s choir. I was too small, but my older sister used to sing in this choir and my parents did not know what to do with me in the meantime, so I was there listening to them with my ears wide open.
The last piece I listened to was…
‘Der Rosenkavalier’. I will start the rehearsals for my first Marschallin at the Théâtre de Champs-Elysées within a week… and I don’t feel ready for this HUGE challenge…
The opera character I most admire is…
Donna Elvira in Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’. She is honest, sincere, faithful, true and full of love for Don Giovanni and she tries to save him until the very end. All the other characters in this story are lying.
My favourite French song composer is…
Reynaldo Hahn … no it is not true! I feel it is absolutely impossible to answer this question! I love them all
My three travel essentials are…
My iPad, my ear-plugs and my scarves.
My favourite place in the world is…
As a singer, Vienna – I love the musical atmosphere and as a non-singing person, it’s Paris – I love the energy of this beautiful city.
When I’m not singing…
I try to take care of my family and to spend time with them.
