La Quintina

Esther Labourdette, soprano

 

After graduating from the Maîtrise de Radio-France, Esther Labourdette studied voice and obtained Singing Diplomas in Paris Conservatory and Orsay Conservatory as well as a Professional Master's Degree in Performance Practice of Medieval Music at Paris Sorbonne University.

 

Esther performs concerts in repertory ranging from early music to contemporary creation with ensembles such as Musica Nova, Doulce Mémoire, Sequentia, Discantus, Beatus, Elyma, Le Baroque Nomade, Theatro dei Cervelli, I Sospiranti, La Quintina, La Rêveuse, Les Folies Françoises, Les Meslanges, Les Demoiselles de Saint-Cyr, Candor Vocalis, Aquilegia, Territoires du Souffle, Méliades, Archimusic and Ptyx.

She performs regularly in solo recital with the lutenist Miguel Henry and the organist Joseph Rassam and collaborates on an ongoing basis with Professor Jean Vignes, specialist in sixteenth-century poetry.

 

On stage, she perfomed in Roman de Fauvel at the Théâtre du Châtelet (conducted by B. Bagby, directed by P. Sellars) and sang the leading role of La Malaspina in S. Sciarrino's Luci mie traditrici at the Kyiv's National Opera, Allumette in T. Machuel's Les Lessiveuses at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris, the Musicienne in the French national tour of Lully's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (director C. Hiegel, musical direction B. Perrot), Sangaride in Atys at the Château de Meudon.

 

Often called upon by composers to perform their works, she collaborates with Thierry Machuel, Stéphane Lemaire, Bruno Gillet and Pierre Chépélov.

 

She has participated in many recordings, including Celestial Hierarchy with Sequentia (Diapason d'Or); Music in Golden-Age Florence 1250-1750 with Theatro dei Cervelli; Missa prolationum by Ockeghem as well as Motets by Handl with Musica Nova; Vanitas Vanitatum-17th Century Italian Music with Rencontres Baroques de Montfrin; Les Messes retrouvées de Jehan Titelouze with Les Meslanges; Incogniti sentieri, Heavenly Songes and Ymaginacions with La Quintina, O Amor et Sublimitas with Resonez; Chants d’amour, Chants de guerre à la cour de François Ier with Candor Vocalis.

 

She teaches medieval vocal music as part of the Master’s program in Early Music Performance at Sorbonne University (medieval MIMA) and leads medieval singing workshops with the Centre de Musique Médiévale de Paris, with the Royaumont Foundation and the Philharmonie de Paris. She gave several workshops cycles and lectures in China in performance practice of medieval music (Shanghai Conservatory, Nantong University and Conservatory). She is also a certified Alexander Technique® teacher.

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