©Photo: Mégane Fontaine

©Photo: Germain Thyssen

©Photo: Mégane Fontaine

Valentin Thill

Tenor

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“The young French tenor dazzles with his silvery tone and charming stage presence.”
L’Echo

French tenor Valentin Thill is fast attracting attention for his ‘luminous voice’ (Olyrix, 2022) and committed stage presence. Notable highlights have included his first Tamino in Pierre Rigal’s new production of Die Zauberflöte at the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse under Frank Beermann, and Tavannes in Olivier Py’s celebrated production of Les Huguenots for La Monnaie conducted by Evelino Pidò.

The current season brings Valentin’s anticipated debut as Chevalier de la Force in Barrie Kosky’s new production of Dialogues des Carmélites for Glyndebourne Festival Opera under Robin Ticciati. He also makes his role and company debuts with Opéra national de Montpellier as Pylade in Iphigénie en Tauride under Pierre Dumoussaud, Opéra de Nice as Jaquino in Fidelio conducted by Marko Letonja, and the Olympia Municipal Music Theatre in Athens as Bellidor in Dimitri Mitropoulos’ rarely performed Soeur Béatrice. Elsewhere Valentin returns to Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse for Tristan und Isolde as the Shepherd and Sailor, as well as returning to his hometown Toulon as Piféar in Adolphe Adam’s Si j’étais Roi.

On the concert platform, Valentin will make his debut for Opéra de Limoges in Puccini’s Messa di Gloria conducted by Edward Ananian Cooper, as well as singing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse under Jordi Savall. Highlights elsewhere have included critically acclaimed concert appearances as Roggiero in Rossini’s Tancredi under Jérémie Rhorer for Festival de Beaune, Barbarigo in I due Foscari for Festival d’Aix-en-Provence conducted by Daniele Rustioni, and with Orchestra national de Lyon in Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 under Ben Glassberg.

As a former Artist in Residence at Brussels’ Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Valentin studied with José van Dam and Sophie Koch. During this time, he made two key role debuts as Ferrando (Cosi fan tutte) and Nadir (Les pêcheurs de perles) and in concert added Verdi’s Messa da Requiem and Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass to his repertoire. Valentin has also been the recipient of several emerging talent competition awards along the way, including winning the Concours International de la Mélodie de Gordes, the Gabriel Dussurget Prize at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and taking second Prize at the 52^nd Concours International de Chant de Toulouse.

Gallery

Valentin Thill - Boulanger

Concours international de Chant - 52e édition - Valentin Thill © Théâtre du Capitole

“The role of Pylade falls to tenor Valentin Thill whose career is currently flourishing. The tone of his voice, tender and pure, is naturally full of emotion and his diction is consistently perfect […] his voice is radiant in the moving aria ‘Unis dès la plus tendre enfance’, in which he superbly conveys tenderness and lyricism.”

Première Loge, April 2023

“Valentin Thill has the perfect style and timbre for this noble tenor role. He makes Pylade a hero as tender as he is resolute.”

Forum Opera, April 2023

“Fortunately, Valentin Thill’s very beautiful Pylade brings some sensitivity to this brutal world.”

ResMusica, April 2023

“His Pylade demonstrates crystal clear high notes and clear, precise vocal lines.”

IOCO, April 2023

“We admire most of all the extraordinary Pylade of Valentin Thill: the beauty of the timbre, the refinement of the line, the expressiveness of the voice, the truth of the character.”

Classique News, April 2023

“Tenor Valentin Thill made a big impression as the Shepherd as well as the voice of the Sailor that begins the opera.”

Opera Today, March 2023

“Tenor Valentin Thill’s purity of singing is seductive and convincing in the roles of the Young Sailor and the Shepherd.”

ResMusica, March 2023

“Valentin Thill is always seductive. He demonstrates a fresh, easy and assured lyric tenor voice in the roles of the Young Sailor and the Shepherd.”

Olyrix, February 2023

“Valentin Thill is as assertive as he is a fine singer.”

Opera Online, January 2023

“In the cast we are blessed with two sumptuous supporting roles: Valentin Thill and Mikhael Piccone. The first, a tenor of superlative diction, is an imposing presence of poetic clarity and precise phrasing.”

Opera Online, November 2022

“Valentin Thill makes a beautiful Piféar, the fisherman friend of Zéphoris, a naive and cowardly character. His voice is ample, well placed and his acting convincing.”

Forum Opera, November 2022

“Valentin Thill delivers a radiant singing lesson in Nadir and his luminous interpretation of the aria “Je crois entendre encore” crowned by trebles close to the impalpable and perfectly mastered, earning him a well-deserved ovation from the public”

Olyrix, August 2022

“Despite the relative brevity of the role and only one aria to his credit, the French tenor Valentin Thill (Roggiero) stands out for the plasticity of his luminous voice, attention to the vocal line and his commitment.”

Olyrix, July 2022

“Valentin Thill…carries out this task with happiness, and even with brilliance in his air “S’avverassero pure i detti suoi!”.

Forum Opera, July 2022

“Refined and haughty, the French tenor Valentin Thill personifies Tavannes as a scandalous Bacchus, demonstrating an ease of play and a mastery of his voice perfectly matched with the character. Direct, frank and honest, this singer’s voice fits beautifully into a very masculine cast.”

Olyrix, June 2022

“Valentin Thill’s Tamino never fails.”

(Opera Gazet, December 2021)

“Valentin Thill’s Tamino balances youth and fullness of intonation, with a sensitive affinity with Mozartian writing.”

(Première Loge, December 2021)

“Valentin Thill as Barbarigo, what luxury!”

(Forum Opera, July 2021)

“The young French tenor dazzles with his silvery tone and charming stage presence.”

(L’Echo, October 2019)

“Quality of tone, musicality, and sensitivity are his strengths.”

(La Depeche, September 2019)