Obituary: Baroque Specialist Sophie Boulin Dies at 69
By Francisco SalazarFrench soprano Sophie Boulin has died at the age of 69 on Dec. 1, 2020.
The baroque specialist died in Liège, Belgium, after suffering for a year from a brain tumor.
Born in Paris on August 1, 1951, Boulin studied at the Paris Conservatory and went to the Opera Studio for the Paris Opera. She would eventually join the baroque “maquis.” The soprano also went on to train as a dancer as she took interest in baroque body language.
Boulin would to contribute to the baroque repertoire and performed alongside William Christie, Jean-Claude Magloire, Sigiswald Kuijken, Philippe Herreweghe, and Gustav Leonhardt.
She also built a working relationship with German director Herbert Wernicke in Germany and Switzerland and performed at the Péniche Opéra in Paris.
In a statement, Les Arts Florissants, an organization with which Boulin collaborated, noted, “It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of soprano Sophie Boulin, this Tuesday, December 1st. Unforgettable interpreter of the ‘tragédies lyriques’ of Charpentier, Rameau, but also of the operas of Mozart or Monteverdi, Sophie Boulin marked the history of Les Arts Florissants and the baroque revival in France, from the 1970s. She was also a teacher and playwright, sharing thus her passion for music with many artists who today address a vibrant tribute to her memory.”
The soprano made a number of recordings including Handel’s “Alessandro,” Charpentier’s “Médée,” and Gluck’s “Echo & Narcisse,” among others.
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