Delphine Galou


Delphine Galou is a French contralto. She was born in Paris, and studied philosophy at the Sorbonne while also studying piano and singing. She was the "Discovery of the Year" of the French Association for the Promotion of Young Artists in 2004.
Her outstanding vocal technique combined with noble bearing allow her performances of the most virtuoso roles of the baroque repertoire. Delphine Galou started her career in 2000 as a member of the ensemble of the "Jeunes Voix du Rhin" and performed at the Opéra national du Rhin roles such as Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, Lucretia in The Rape of Lucretia and Mercedes in Carmen and was subsequently a guest in Rennes, Dijon, Caen, Angers-Nantes, Toulon, Nancy, Luxemburg, Freiburg, Basel, St Gallen, at the Händel Festival in Karlsruhe and at the Schwetzingen Festival.
Galou has internationally established herself as a George Frideric Händel specialist with parts such as Giulio Cesare, Rinaldo, Alessandro, Andronico, Zenobia and Bradamante. In 2011-2012, she made her sensational debut at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in the title role of Orlando furioso by Antonio Vivaldi. She also debuted at the Royal Opera House of London and performed The rape of Lucretia at the Angers-Nantes Opera. Her season 2011-2012 was highlighted by Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno at the Staatsoper Berlin under the baton of Marc Minkowski, Alcina at the Lausanne Opera under the baton of Ottavio Dantone and Rinaldo in Reggio Emilia and Ferrara. Upcoming plans include Il ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria by Monteverdi at the Theater an der Wien under the baton of Christophe Rousset and Tamerlano at the Théâtre royal de la Monnaie in Brussels.
Galou has collaborated with orchestras such as the Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble, I Barocchisti, Accademia Bizantina, Collegium 1704, Venice Baroque Orchestra, Il Complesso Barocco, Les Siècles, Les Arts Florissants, Le Concert des Nations, Ensemble Matheus and Les Musiciens du Louvre Grenoble.
As a concert soloist, Galou is, among others, a regular guest of the Beaune Baroque Festival where she was acclaimed in Rinaldo and Alessandro by G.F. Händel, Semiramide by Nicola Porpora and Juditha triumphans and Orlando furioso by A. Vivaldi.

Recordings

Galou has also taken part in the CD-recording of N. Porpora's Vespro per la Festività dell'Assunta under the baton of Martin Gester, A. Vivaldi's Teuzzone under the baton of Jordi Savall and A. Vivaldi's Orlando furioso under the baton of Federico Maria Sardelli. A YouTube video featuring Galou's performance of "Erbarme dich, mein Gott" from Bach's Matthäuspassion has received more than 4.6 million views.

Solo recitals

This is a partial list of roles based on information from the artist's website.
DateComposerWorkRoleHouseConductorDirectorRemarks-
Mar 2006RavelL'enfant et les sortilègesMultiple RolesTheatre Graslin Nantes and the Grand Theatre Angers
Apr 2007VivaldiGiustinoEufemiaSchwetzingen Festival, Germany
Apr 2008HändelGiulio CesareJulius CaesarThéâtre de Caen, France
Jan 2008HaydnIl mondo della lunaErnestoGrand Théâtre de Luxembourg
Jun 2008Benjamin BrittenA Midsummer Night's DreamHermiaOpéra National de Lorraine, Nancy
Apr 2008Agostino SteffaniNiobe, regina di TebeNereaSchwetzingen Festival,GermanyThomas Hengelbrock
Feb 2009HändelRadamistoZenobiaBaden State Theatre, KarlsruhePeter Van Heyghen
Jun 2009VivaldiOrlando FuriosoOrlandoTheater BaselAndrea Marcon
Jan 2011Benjamin BrittenThe Rape of LucretiaLucretiaNantes / Theatre Graslin and the Angers / Grand Theatre
Jul 2011VivaldiJuditha triumphansBeaune Baroque FestivalFederico Maria SardelliConcert Performance.
Apr 2012HändelRinaldoRinaldoTeatro Municipale Valli, ItalyOttavio Dantone
Sep 2012MonteverdiIl ritorno d'Ulisse in patriaPenelopeTheater an der WienChristophe Rousset
Oct 2012VivaldiTito ManlioKraków Opera HouseOttavio DantoneConcert performance
April 2012HändelJuditha TriumphansHolofernesMisteria paschalia festival, KrakówOttavio Dantone
Jan 2012HändelIl trionfo del Tempo e del DisingannoDisingannoStaatsoper im Schiller Theater, BerlinMarc Minkowski
Jun 2013VivaldiJuditha triumphansSt. Reinoldi, DortmundChristophe RoussetConcert Performance
May 2013VivaldiFarnaceBereniceTeatro del Maggio Musicale, Florence
Sep 2013GluckOrfeo ed EuridiceOrfeoOpéra national de MontpellierBalázs Kocsár
Oct 2013HändelAci, Galatea e PolifemoGalateaWiener Konzerthaus in ViennaEmmanuelle Haim
Jun 2014HändelIl trionfo del tempo e del disingannoDisingannoThe Berlin StaatsoperSébastien RoulandJürgen Flimm
Jan 2015HändelTamerlanoAndronicoThéâtre Royal de La Monnaie à BruxellesChristophe RoussetPierre Audi-
May 2015VivaldiLa verità in cimentoDamiraOpernhaus ZürichOttavio Dantone