Jeanine De Bique, soprano

Jeanine De Bique has been described as “one of the most exciting sopranos to catch onstage these days. Animated, joyful, and technically flawless, the Trinidadian vocalist with the light, starry voice that soars before landing on audiences’ ears like a musical meteor shower” (OperaWire) and a “sheer endless wealth of color and nuances[…] a radiant, free-floating timbre.” (Opernwelt).

Highlights in 2023-24 include her return to Opéra de Paris for the debut in the title role of Massenet’s Cendrillon, her house debut as Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) at Staatsoper Berlin and Micaëla (Carmen) at Gran Teatre de Liceu Barcelona. In concert, she will present a new program with Baroque arias and Caribbean folk songs with Holland Baroque on tour throughout the Netherlands, give solo recitals in the US and perform with The English Concert, Philadelphia Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic, B’Rock, Kammerorchester Basel and Gürzenich Orchester.

The past few seasons saw several important role and house debuts: as Isabel in George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence at Opernhaus Zurich, Alcina in Handel’s Alcina in Robert Carsen’s acclaimed production at l’Opéra National de Paris followed by her return as Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Poppea in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea with the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Iván Fischer, Anaï in Rossini’s Moïse et Pharaon at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Agathe in Weber’s Der Freischütz with Konzerthausorchester Berlin and Christoph Eschenbach, Bess (Porgy and Bess) and La Folie in Rameau’s Platée at Theater an der Wien, conducted by William Christie and followed by her return as Nicrotis (Belshazzar). At Houston Grand Opera, she debuted the role of Maria in excerpts from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. Most recently she returned to the Salzburger Festspiele for Purcell’s Indian Queen under the baton of Teodor Currrentzis and to the BBC PROMS for Schumann’s Paradies und die Peri with London Symphony Orchestra and Simon Rattle.

Equally sought after in concert, Ms. De Bique gave her solo recital debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall, appeared at Lincoln Centre at the Mostly Mozart Festival, at the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal’s summer festival, and performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Manfred Honeck, London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle, Martin Fröst and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic and Herbert Blomstedt, the Dallas Symphony, New World Symphony Miami, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, both conducted by Wayne Marshall.

Mirrors, Ms. De Bique’s first solo-CD with Concerto Köln was released by Berlin Classics in 2021 to outstanding reviews. The album received the 2022 Opus Klassik Award for best solo recording Vocal, a Diapason d’Or découverte, the Edison Klassiek award as well as the Editor’s Choice award in Gramophone, Fono Forum and Opera Magazines. The program was presented throughout Europe and the US, including Carnegie Hall in New York.

Previous opera highlights include Annio in Peter Sellar’s production of La Clemenza di Tito at the Salzburg Festival and De Nationale Opera Amsterdam, Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro) at San Francisco Opera, Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) at Deutsche Oper Berlin, the title role of Handel’s Rodelinda at Opéra de Lille, conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm and released on DVD by Erato (winner of the Opus Klassik Award 2020) and Aida in the world premiere of Caruso a Cuba by Micha Hamel at De Nationale Opera Amsterdam.

Early on in her career, she had the pleasure to perform Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem and Mahler’s Symphony no 8 with the late Lorin Maazel in Munich and New York respectively. Consecutive concert invitations in repertoire ranging from Handel to Beethoven, Mahler and Arvo Paert have led to appearances at the Aspen and Ravinia Festivals, Lincoln Center New York, Philharmonie de Paris, Hollywood Bowl et al with a diverse list of conductors and ensembles such as Raphaël Pichon, Richard Egarr, Marin Alsop, Tughan Sokievh, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Melbourne Symphony, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse as well as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Reflecting her versatility and artistic curiosity, Ms. De Bique is featured on Joachim Horsley’s album and video release ‘Caribbean Nocturnes’ with the single ‘Le M’ouri’, which fuses classical sound and Latin Caribbean Afro rhythm. She also made a guest appearance in season 2 of the Netflix series The OA.

Ms. De Bique holds a Master degree from the Manhattan School of Music. Notable awards include the Arleen Auger Prize at the Hertogenbosch International Vocal Competition and Third Prize in the Viotti International Music Competition. She is a recipient of the Youth Ambassador for Peace, awarded by the National Commission of UNESCO, Trinidad and Tobago.