Philippe Jaroussky
Contre-ténor
Philippe Jaroussky, “the radiant god among countertenors” ([Süddeutsche Zeitung]), who made his first guest appearance in Berliner Philharmoniker concerts in 2010, is probably the most popular countertenor today. However, at the beginning of his musical training, he never thought that he would become a singer: “My parents are not musicians, and I only started playing the violin when I was eleven. Of course, I was already much too late for a career. But I knew as a teenager that I wanted to do something with music in my life later on.”
Philippe Jaroussky first studied violin, piano and composition in Versailles and Boulogne before beginning his vocal training under Nicole Fallien in 1996. Studies in historical performance practice under Michel Laplenie and Kenneth Weiss at the École de Musique National-Régional in Paris completed his training. He launched his international career in 1999 with performances at the Royaumont and Ambronay festivals in Alessandro Scarlatti’s oratorio [Sedecia]. Today, the singer performs with the leading Baroque orchestras and works regularly with conductors such as Andrea Marcon, Fabio Biondi, William Christie, Emmanuelle Haïm, René Jacobs, Marc Minkowski, Jérémie Rhorer and Jean-Christophe Spinosi. The countertenor, who opened the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg in 2017 as its first Artist in Residence, has received numerous awards. Also in 2017, he founded the Philippe Jaroussky Academy, which supports young and culturally disadvantaged musicians. Jaroussky was awarded the title Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.
