JEAN-SÉBASTIEN BEAUVAIS, Countertenor
Born in 1979, he started the music as soprano in the Boys Choir of the Cathedral of Monaco. After organ studies, he worked on early music repertoire at the Conservatory of Toulouse, in France, with Charles Brett, Howard Crook and Guillemette Laurens.
Following, he received his qualification degree at the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, C.M.B.V, specialized in early music.
He went to the Netherlands and graduated from the Conservatory of Amsterdam with a Classical Singing Master diploma in the class of Valerie Guillorit. Simultaneously, he was invited to work with the D.N.O.A, Dutch National Opera Academy, directed by Sandy Oliver.
Besides International Masterclasses with Margreet Honig, on lyric and technical session, he works frequently with music coach Peter Nilsson, Claron Mac Fadden, David Bollen and since 2009 with Ira Siff from the Metropolitan Opera, New York.
In the Netherlands, he works frequently as soloist with the Sweelinck Barok Orchestra, The Northen Consort, The Brabant Consort or the Hollands Vocaal Ensemble. He is a member of the Netherlands Bach Society, directed by Jos van Veldhoven, and performed with them in numerous International Early Music Festivals in Europe. In 2007, he was part of “Beloved Beautiful”, a recording of Bach and Schütz motets for Channel Classic’s record, nominated to the Edison Klassiek Price in 2009.
Highlights of recent opera solo work include Daniel in “Belshazzar” by Handel, Fernando in “Don Chisciotte in Sierra Nevada” by Conti, produced by Opera aan het IJ with the Utrecht Barok Consort and Jos Van Veldhoven, Oberon in “Mid Summer Night’s dream” opera by Britten produced by D.N.O.A (Dutch National Opera Academy) conducted by Lucas Vis. He was in 2009 Ottone in the “Incoronazione di Poppea” by Monteverdi, conducted by Glenn Wilson and staged by Javier Lopez Pignon. He also worked for Arma Opera and Barok Opera company with stage director David Prins and for the Opera aan Zee festival as Cesare in “Giulio Cesare in Egitto” by Handel. With the Dutch National Opera during the Marco Pollo production he performed the solo opera “Wau” composed for him by Caio Amon.
In 2011, he was understudy of Gary Boyce, as Orfeo, in “Orfeo ed Euridice” by Gluck produced by De Utrechtse Spelen and Concerto d’Amsterdam.
His repertoire of Baroque oratorio compositions includes the Alto solo parts of J.S. Bach’s Magnificat, St John Passion, B-Minor Mass, Easter Oratorio, Weihnachts oratorio, solo cantata BWV 54, Handel’s Messiah, Dixit Dominus and other sacred works composed by Telemann, Schütz, Zelenka, Pergolesi, Scarlatti and Vivaldi.
Found of conducting, he created and conducts the Uranie Chamber Ensemble. With his ensemble, he performs French and German early music in Europe. Concerts in the Vredenburg zaal of Utrecht, in Amsterdam at the prestigious Concert Gebouw, in France in the Chapelle Royale of the Chateau de Versailles during the “Jeudi musical festival” and in Monaco during the Sacred Music Festival.
His next engagement in 2012 is in France, as Katisha, the ederly lady, in The Mikado, comical opera by Gilbert & Sullivan, produced by Opera Fuoco company and conducted by David Stern.
