Liesbeth Devos
Soprano
Made her debut in 2006 at La Monnaie as Despina in Così fan Tutte, a production in collaboration with the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth. In 2007 La Monnaie invited her to perform the role of Ilse in the world premiere of Frühlings Erwachen by Benoit Mernier and the role of Papagena in Die Zauberflöte. That same year she sang her first St John Passion with The academy of Ancient music under the baton of Richard Egarr.
In the summer of 2008 she celebrated her debut in La Fenice (Venice) in Death in Venice with maestro Bartoletti.
The young Belgian soprano studied theatre, diction and oboe at the music academy in her native town Beveren-Waas. She studied singing with Lieve Suys and at the Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp with Stephanie Friede, where she also attended the lied courses of Lucienne Van Deyck and Jozef De Beenhouwer and the opera course of Guy Joosten. She later graduated with great distinction at the Chapelle musicale Reine Elisabeth were her teachers included José van Dam and Susanna Eken.
In April 2004 she sang the role of Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring, an Operastudio Flanders production. In April 2005 she sang the role of Meleagro in La Corona by Gluck produced by the Antwerp Conservatory. In 2006 she performed 2nd woman in Dido and Æneas at the Flanders Festival in Bruxelles. In 2007 she sang Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, a production of Aix-en-Provence.
In the Flemish Opera she made her debut in 2007 as Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro. In 2008 she was invited again to sing La Ragazza in Luc van Hove's world creation La Strada and Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia. In 2009 she sang at this opera house Voce dal cielo in Don Carlos, first niece in Peter Grimes and had a remarcable succes singing the main role, Helena, in the worldcreation Rage of Life, composed by Kats-Chernin. With this production she also performed in the Netherlands, Bulgaria and at the Staatsoper of Stuttgart. This year she made her debut in the Opera de Wallonie as Xunchia in L’inimico delle donne under the baton of Rinaldo Alessandrini. She sang Melpomène in Atys with Les arts Florissants and William Christie in Versailles.
Besides her operatic career, Liesbeth Devos is highly in demand as a concert singer. She has sung with The Academy of Ancient Music, B’Rock and the Belgian baroque orchestra Il Fondamento. She sang Les Illuminations by Britten with both Amsterdam Sinfonietta and The Royal Flemish Philharmonic orchestra. She sang Petite Messe Solennelle by Rossini and Die Schöpfung by Haydn with the Flemish Radio Choir. She went on tour with The Academy of Ancient Music through China to sing the solo soprano part in Haydn's Nelson Mass. She sang Messiah, Die Schöpfung and St. Matthew’s Passion with Octopus Choir at Bozar (Brussels) and De Singel (Antwerp). She sang Carmina Burana at the teatro di Verdi in Trieste.
Future projects include among others Stabat Mater and Salve Regina by Pergolesi with the Händel and Haydn society under the baton of Rinaldo Alessandrini,Boston (VS); Melpomène in Atys with les Arts Florissants and William Christie, NY (VS); Mahler 4 in Dijon (F); Marie in Guillaume Tell at the opera de Wallonie; Cd-recording with songs of August De Boeck together with pianist Jozef De Beenhouwer.
In 2004 she formed a Lied-duo with her pianist Lucas Blondeel. They have performed extensively in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain. They won the first prize at the Kurt-Leimer competition in Zürich and were finalist at the Liedwettbewerb des Bayrischen Rundfunks in Bayreuth. They were among the last 13 participants in the Wigmore Hall Song Competition 2011 in London and Liesbeth was finalist of the Wigmore Hall/Independent Opera Voice Fellowship.
Liesbeth Devos is very thankful to be awarded many scholarships offered by Belgacom, Inspiratum, Robus Foundation,Oranjebeurs, Nany Philippart and Piet Stautkring. She was offered a special price, Pelemans Prijs, for her engagement in Belgian music.
Oktober 2011 - PLEASE DESTROY ALL PREVIOUSLY DATED MATERIALS
For all informations : www.liesbethdevos.com