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The Swiss-born bass-baritone, actor, stage director and singng teacher, François Loup, studied piano, organ. composition and singing at Fribourg. He earned a Premier prix de virtuosité with Summa cum Laude degree from the Conservatoire de Fribourg and the Conservatoire de Genève. He also earned teaching diplomas in voice and piano.
François Loup sang at the Geneva Opera in 1964-1966, notably in the premiere of Monsieur de Pourceaugnac by Martin. He directed various vocal ensembles for which he harmonised motets. madrigals and Swiss folk songs. He was soloist with the Ensemble Instrumental de Lausanne, under Michel Corboz.
François Loup made his debut on the international music scene at the 1974 Spoleto Festival at the invitation of Gian Carlo Menotti. His reputation rapidly grew to international stature. Renown for his finely detailed characterizations as a performer as well as a director, Loup maintains a busy career in America and abroad. His repertoire also includes a vast selection of oratorios and art songs. He gave many performances of Baroque music, notably with the Societa Cameristica di Lugano and with the Opéra de Lyon (in Orfeo by Monteverdi), and oratorio performances in many European countries. He sang in Georges Bizet's Docteur Miracle at the 1975 Spoleto Festival; and Bartolo in W.A. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at Houston 1988, repeated at Glyndebourne 1989 (later at the Albert Hall, London); San Diego and the Opera de Lyon 1989, as Don Pasquale and as Balducci in Benvenuto Cellini. Other roles include Leporello, Figaro. Dulcamara, Masetto, Arkel, Pimen, Frère Laurent in Charles Gounod's Romeo et Juliette and Sarastro in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. He is dedicatee of several contemporary compositions..
François Loup first performed in Washington in 1981. With the Metropolitan Opera of New York, since 1992, he has given more than a hundred performances in major roles like Bartolo (W.A. Mozart and Rossini); Dulcamara in Elisir d’Amore, Sulpice in The Daughter of the Regiment as well as the Sacristan in Tosca; Benoit and Alcindoro in La Bohême; Frank in Die Fledermaus and the Major d’Uomo in Strauss’s Capriccio. He has performed with Milwaukee's Florentine Opera, New Israeli Opera, Dallas Opera, Canadian Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago; Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Bastille of Paris, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Lyon, Metz, (Rocco in L.v. Beethoven's Fidelio: 2001) Nantes, Strasbourg, Rouen, Toulouse, Madrid, Barcelona, Prague, Glyndebourne, Aix en Provence, Rome, Spoleto, Bologna and many others including the Santa Fe Opera and Washington Opera, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires at the Teatro Colon with Don Pasquale and The Barber of Seville.
François Loup is also teacher of singing: pupils, include François Le Roux. Citizen of the USA and France, Loup is an associate professor of voice at the University of Maryland School of Music since 1996. He also prepares singers for auditions and competitions, helping them to chose the right repertoire for the appropriate circumstance in their respective fach, as well as last-minute technical and stylistic adjustments.
François Loup has recorded with Erato, CBS, Philips, Accord, and NVC (videos). |
