La Quintina

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, Elyma, Le Baroque Nomade, Theatro dei Cervelli, I Sospiranti, La Quintina, La Rêveuse, Les Folies Françoises, Les Meslanges, Les Muses Galantes, Les Demoiselles de Saint-Cyr, Candor Vocalis, Aquilegia, Territoires du Souffle, Méliades, Archimusic, Mélisme (s) and Mikrokosmos.

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

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

On stage, she 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 and Second Woman/Second Witch in Dido and Aeneas at the Nouveau Theâtre de Montreuil.

She has participated in many recordings, including Celestial Hierarchy with Sequentia (Diapason d'Or); Chants d'amour, Chants de guerre à la cour de François 1er with Candor Vocalis; Missa prolationum by Ockeghem as well as Motets by Handl with Musica Nova.

Esther leads medieval singing workshops with the Royaumont Foundation and the Philharmonie de Paris and gives several workshops cycles and lectures in China in performance practice of medieval music (Shanghai Conservatory, Nantong University and Conservatory) .