Christophe Dumaux

Christophe Dumaux, countertenor (Giulio Cesare)

Undoubtedly one of the most sought-after singers in the world, Christophe Dumaux is a regular guest on the great international opera stages. With his exceptional vocal capacities, the intensity of his performances, and his unique stage presence, the French countertenor burst onto the international operatic scene in 2022 as Eustazio in Handel’s Rinaldo with the Freiburger Barockorchester, conducted by René Jacobs. Since then, his career has been firmly established in the finest musical venues.

The list of conductors with whom he has collaborated includes, alongside Jacobs, William Christie, Emmanuelle Haïm, Gianluca Capuano, Giovanni Antonini, Harry Bicket, Andrea Marcon, Ivor Bolton, Philippe Jaroussky, Ottavio Dantone, and Francesco Corti. Dumaux also sings with major symphony orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain and its music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Similarly, the list of stage directors with whom he has collaborated includes Claus Guth, David McVicar, Robert Carsen, Calixto Bieito, Barrie Kosky, David Alden, Christof Loy, Barbora Horáková, and Richard Jones.

With these esteemed partners, Dumaux tackles masterworks from Monteverdi to Handel to Mozart. He sang Ottone in Agrippina in Hamburg; the title role in Orlando at the Theater an der Wien; Polinesso in Ariodante at the Vienna State Opera (Salzburg), the Bolshoi Theatre, and last year at the Opéra Garnier; and Athamas in Semele in Zurich. Dumaux has a special relationship with the opera Giulio Cesare: his Tolomeo is in demand all over the world (Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, Salzburg Festival, La Scala), and last season, he appeared in the title role in Amsterdam.

Dumaux has tackled, with equal success, other Baroque masters, including Vivaldi (Melindo in La verità in cimento in Zurich and the title role in Il Giustino in Berlin) and Cavalli (the title role in Il Giasone in Antwerp and Endimione in La Calisto in Milan).

In 2014, Dumaux sang his first Mozart role as Farnace in Mitridate at the Drottningholm Theatre and he returned to this role with Emmanuelle Haïm in Paris. Last season, he made his role debut as Orfeo at the Sydney Opera in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. And this year, he returns to some of his favorite Handel roles; along with this current tour with the English Concert in the title role in Giulio Cesare in Egitto, Dumaux will sing Polinesso in Ariodante at the Opéra du Rhin, and Arsamene in Serse and Nerone in Agrippina at the Zurich Opera. He will then return to Giulio Cesare at the Salzburg Festival under Emmanuelle Haïm, with Dmitri Tcherniakov’s direction.

Dumaux’s discography includes several recordings on the Ambroisie, Harmonia Mundi, and Naïve labels. On DVD, his recordings include three productions as Tolomeo in Giulio Cesare (Glyndebourne with William Christie and David McVicar for Opus Arte; Theater an der Wien with Ivor Bolton and Keith Warner for Unitel; and Salzburg with Giovanni Antonini and the Moshe Leiser/Patrice Caurier collaboration for Decca).