June 4, 2025
Athens, GR 14 C
Expand search form
Blog

Paris mourns opera chorusmaster, 99

Paris mourns opera chorusmaster, 99

The death is reported of the venerable Jean Laforge, chorusmaster of the Opéra de Paris for three decades and of other major companies for the next 15 years.

Laforge entered the Palais Garnier as deputy head of chorus in 1958, rising to chorusmaster six years later and retiring at the mandatory age of 62 in 1987. He went on to be head of chorus at the Grand Théâtre de Genève (1987-1995), Nice Opera (1996-1997) and back to Paris at the Opéra-comique (1998-2000).

A former student of Ravel’s friend Magda Tagliaferro, Laforge maintained a parallel career as a concert pianist, playing concertos with various orchestras and chamber music with his own Groupe Instrumental de Paris.

The post Paris mourns opera chorusmaster, 99 appeared first on Slippedisc.

Previous Article

Planet Hugill featured in FeedSpot Top 60 Opera Blogs

Next Article

Carmen Jones, RIP

You might be interested in …

Death of influential US organist, 91

Death of influential US organist, 91

Founder of the Organ Historical Society in 1956 and its president for many years, Barbara Owen proselytised extensively on behalf of American organ music. She became librarian of the Organ Library of the American Guild […]

A critic remembers John Cage

A critic remembers John Cage

Alastair Macaulay writes movingly about a musician he greatly admired:   John Cage (1912-1992) died thirty-two years ago today, a few weeks before his eightieth birthday. Merce Cunningham, his life partner, came home from rehearsals […]