©Photo: Romane Begon

©Photo: Germain Thyssen

©Photo: Romane Begon

Valentin Thill

Tenor

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

Emerging French tenor Valentin Thill has secured himself a bright future through some exceptional recent debuts, including at Glyndebourne Festival Opera as Chevalier de la Force in Barrie Kosky’s acclaimed new production of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites under Robin Ticciati, Tamino in a new production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse under Frank Beermann and Tavannes in Olivier Py’s staging of Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots for La Monnaie conducted by Evelino Pidò.

Other key performances in Thill’s initial professional seasons include Jaquino in Beethoven’s Fidelio at Opéra de Nice conducted by Marko Letonja, the roles of Seeman and der Hirt in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde at Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse, Piféar in Adolphe Adam’s Si j’étais Roi at Opéra de Toulon and Bellidor in Dimitri Mitropoulos’ lesser-known Soeur Béatrice for Athens’ Olympia Municipal Music Theatre. Of Thill’s Pylade in Glück’s Iphigénie en Tauride, marking his debut at Opéra national de Montpellier under Pierre Dumoussaud, Classique News wrote “… the beauty of the timbre, the refinement of the line, the expressiveness of the voice, the truth of the character.”

The 2023/24 season for Valentin Thill further expands his repertoire and includes a debut at Opéra national de Lyon as Joe in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West, conducted by Music Director Daniele Rustioni, Spalanzani in Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann at Opéra Royal de Wallonie under Giampaolo Bisanti, his first Pong in Puccini’s Turandot under Kazushi Ono at La Monnaie and a return to Opéra de Toulon, this time as Alfred in J Strauss’ Die Fledermaus.

On the concert platform, Valentin Thill has recently appeared in Puccini’s Messa di Gloria with Opéra de Limoges, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse under Jordi Savall, Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with Orchestre national de Lyon under Ben Glassberg and Dvořák’s Stabat Mater with Lahti Symphony Orchestra under Anja Bihlmaier. In opera in concert performance, Thill has performed at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence as Barbarigo in Verdi’s I due Foscari conducted by Daniele Rustioni, as Nadir in Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs des Perles at Opéra Royal de Wallonie, as Roggiero in Rossini’s Tancredi under Jérémie Rhorer at Festival de Beaune and, as part of the 2023 BBC Proms with Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Robin Ticciati, as Chevalier de la Force in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites at London’s Royal Albert Hall, broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

As a former Artist in Residence at Brussels’ Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Valentin studied with José van Dam and Sophie Koch and has been the recipient of several emerging talent competition awards, including first prize in the Concours International de la Mélodie de Gordes, the Gabriel Dussurget Prize at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and second prize at the 52^nd Concours International de Chant de Toulouse. Valentin Thill is a finalist in the 2023 Voix Nouvelles competition in Paris.

Gallery

Valentin Thill | Carmelites in Glyndebourne

Valentin Thill - Boulanger

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

“The young French tenor Valentin Thill gives a certain depth to the “father” Of Olympia, the inventor Spalanzani. The voice rises with fervour and energy.”

Olyrix, November 2023

“The supporting roles are well cast, especially the superlative Valentin Thill (Spalanzani), who we would like to hear in an even more extensive performance.”

Classique News, November 2023

“Sung with style and vigour, Valentin Thill’s superb Spalanzani left an impression.”

ConcertoNet, November 2023

“Valentin Thill’s Spalanzani deserves special mention – his beautiful timbre is supported by powerful projection and impeccable diction.”

Forum Opera, November 2023

“A resonant timbre, with a welcome cutting-through sound used to tackle difficult and lesser-known excerpts from Benvenuto Cellini (Berlioz) and from Gianni Schicchi (Puccini). [These were] ambitious repertoire choices, showing evidence of [an artist with] an engaged musical personality and who masters French repertoire.”

Olyrix, October 2023 (from Competition Voix Nouvelles Final 2023)

“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)