Barbe & Doucet André Barbe – Designer, Renaud Doucet – Director
John Bellemer Tenor
Thérèse / La Navarraise
Cristina, regina di Svezia
After separate beginnings in dance, theatre, television and opera, Renaud Doucet, stage director and choreographer, and André Barbe, set and costume designer, joined forces in 2000. Since then their partnership has created over thirty new opera productions.
In 2012/2013 John Bellemer made his debut with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; sang at Florence’s Maggio Musicale as Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia; as Alfredo in La Traviata with Florida Grand Opera; and Nebuchadnezzar in Britten’s The Burning Fiery Furnace and Herold in Grassl’s Tassilo with Festival Mattseer Diabelli Sommer (Austria). In summer 2013 he returned to Berkshire Choral Festival in Britten’s Spring Symphony. Other highlights include Sali in Delius’ A Village Romeo and Juliet with Wexford Festival Opera; Riccardo in Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan at Buxton Festival; Sandy/Officer One in Davies’ The Lighthouse with Boston Lyric Opera; Don José in Carmen with Opera Birmingham; and soloist in Dvořák’s Stabat Mater and Filas’ Song of Solomon with Oratorio Society of New York. He is featured in the Academy Award-nominated film Lincoln as Gounod’s Faust. When not in production, John enjoys cycling 100+ miles per week.
André Barbe received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University, Montreal, then studied at the National Theatre School of Canada under the tutelage of designer François Barbeau. He has designed over 300 productions for theatre, television and opera. In 2005 he received the Irish Times Irish Theatre Award for Best Set Designer for the production of Pénélope at Wexford Festival Opera. In 2011 he received the Rolf-Mares Prize for Best Sets and Costumes for the production of La Cenerentola at the Hamburgische Staatsoper. Trained musician Renaud Doucet began his performing career as a solo dancer, ballet master and choreographer in international dance companies. He was introduced to the opera world as a baroque choreographer and baroque gesture specialist. He has also worked as a television and film actor. Their work as a team gained recognition with their opera productions in Austria, Germany, France, Canada, the USA, and at Wexford (Si j’étais roi, 2000 and Pénélope, 2005). More recent productions include the entire 2009/2010 season for Florida Grand Opera (Lucia di Lammermoor, I Pagliacci, Suor Angelica, Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Carmen), followed by La Cenerentola at the Hamburgische Staatsoper and Turandot at Seattle Opera. They created Die Feen by Wagner for the bicentennial celebrations ‘Wagnerjahr 2013’ for Oper Leipzig as a co-production with Bayreuther Festspiele. Their forthcoming productions include Turandot (Minnesota and Cincinnati), Thérèse and La Navarraise (Wexford), Manon (Malmö), Don Pasquale (Scottish Opera), The Wizard of Oz (Volksoper Wien), and La Belle Hélène (Hamburgische Staatsoper).
Artist Biographies
69