Laurent Naouri French singer (baritone). Date of Birth: 23.05.1964 Country: France

1. Biography of Laurent Naouri
2. Musical Style
3. Connection to Russian Culture
4. Education and Career
5. Collaborations and Recent Work

Biography of Laurent Naouri

Laurent Naouri is a French singer (baritone) who is known as one of the most sought-after baritones of our time. Born on December 12, 1962, Naouri's performance at the Chamber Hall of the Moscow International House of Music on this mystical day is highly anticipated.

Musical Style

Naouri's musical style combines seemingly polar directions such as baroque opera and Mahler's songs, operetta and the compositions of 20th-century academic composers. For his performance in Russia, the artist has selected romantic songs by Rachmaninoff, as well as Ravel's "Songs of Don Quixote" and "Iberia," and a cycle of "Calligrammes" by Poulenc. He will perform these pieces in a duet with Elena Filonova, an excellent Russian pianist who currently resides and works in Paris.

Connection to Russian Culture

Naouri's interest in Russian culture is not accidental, as his grandparents are from Kishinev, and he himself speaks Russian quite well. Interestingly, Naouri's original profession was an engineer. When asked why he decided to pursue a career in the arts, he responded succinctly, "It was boring. I wanted a different life."

Education and Career

Naouri completed his studies at the Conservatoire in Marseille and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He made his debut in 1992 in the leading role of Darius Milhaud's opera "Christopher Columbus." His repertoire includes Count Almaviva in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro," Orestes in Gluck's "Iphigenia in Tauris," Escamillo in Bizet's "Carmen," Germont in Verdi's "La Traviata," and many others.

Collaborations and Recent Work

In 2006, Naouri performed Golaud in Debussy's "Pelléas et Mélisande" under the baton of Simon Rattle at the Easter Festival in Salzburg. He later appeared in Berlioz's "Les Troyens." Naouri's interest in the operatic heritage of Monteverdi, Purcell, and Rameau led him to collaborate with authentic performance masters such as Marc Minkowski, William Christie, and John Eliot Gardiner.

In addition to his opera roles, Naouri has successfully participated in productions of Offenbach's operettas such as "La Belle Hélène" and "Orphée aux enfers" and his serious opera "Les contes d'Hoffmann." His most recent role is Falstaff, and looking at his photo in this role, it is impossible not to admire the artist's ability to transform himself. In the terrifyingly plump character, few would recognize the handsome Laurent Naouri.

As a final note to his biography, Laurent Naouri frequently performs in concerts as a family duo with the renowned French soprano Natalie Dessay.