Chantal Santon-Jeffery

Soprano Chantal Santon Jeffery is among France's most acclaimed sopranos critically. She is also among the most versatile, with a repertory running from the Baroque to contemporary works. Santon Jeffery is a native of Marseille. She attended university to study political science and obtained a degree in that field before switching to singing and matriculating at the Paris Conservatory. There she studied with Udo Reinemann, Noelle Barker, and Margreet Honig, among others. She made her operatic debut in 1999, in a production of Weber's Der Freischütz at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, under the baton of Myung-Whun Chung. Beginning in 2001, Santon Jeffery had an ongoing association with France's Arcal opera company. Her operatic repertory is notable for its diversity, running from the role of Nérine in Charpentier's Médée to a brand-new work by composer Frédéric Verrières. She has sung in world premieres in continental Europe, Wales, and Japan. Almost alone among contemporary sopranos, she has sung operas by Purcell, Haydn, Mozart, and Wagner (Der fliegende Holländer). In concert Santon Jeffery has also sung 19th century works such as Verdi's Requiem, appearing with major orchestras across France and beyond. She has been especially noted for her work with major conductors in the historical-performance movement related to French Baroque music. She has sung, among others, with Le Concert Spirituel under Hervé Niquet, Les Arts Florissants under William Christie, and Les Talens Lyriques under Christophe Rousset. Santon Jeffery's appearances in the 2019-2020 season included those in a pair of Rameau operas and the role of Fortune in Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea under Rousset. She has been heard on several recordings, including, in 2019, a reading of Rameau's Les indes galantes on the Glossa label, conducted by Hungarian historical-performance specialist György Vashegyi. Her roles for the 2019-2020 season included that of Mozart's Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, K. 620, with two different companies, in Versailles and Avignon, both under the direction of Niquet. Santon Jeffery has given master classes at several institutions, including the University of Prague.
© James Manheim /TiVo