The French bass, Nicolas Testé, first studied piano, bassoon and music history before deciding to focus his talents on singing. If his extraordinary vocal talents hadn't been obvious before, his prowess was clearly recognized - and duly awarded a prize - at the "Voix nouvelles" competition in 1998. He had joined the ensemble of the "Jeune Théâtre Lyrique de France" two years previously. Nicolas Testé participated in the educational program of the Opéra National de Paris in 1997, where he became acquainted with a broad repertory ranging from Mozart's Die auberflöte to Alban Berg's Lulu.
Nicolas Testé has since appeared with the Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp and Ghent, as well as at the Glyndebourne Festival. He has earned particular fame in French-speaking Europe: for example, he recently gave guest performances at opera houses in Nantes, Paris and Toulouse, as well as participating in festivals in Orange and Aix-en-Provence. His most recent projects include Georges Bizet's Carmen in Rome and Meyerbeer's Africaine in Strasbourg. He has collaborated with conductors such as Michel Plasson, Georges Prêtre, John Eliot Gardiner and Marc Minkowski. |