Backstage Opera Management announced the news and noted, “We associate with the pain of his companion Floriane and send our deepest condolences to his entire family and loved ones. We assure them of our full support in this terrible ordeal. Virgile was a very nice person and a great artist, he will be greatly missed.”

Ancely began his singing career at the Conservatory of Roubaix, France, and trained at the CRR of Paris where he studied in the Department of Young Singers.

In 2009, he won the international singing competition of Clermont-Ferrand and became a frequent collaborator with the Les Arts florissants, le Poême harmonique, les Paladins, Sagittarius, and Pygmalion.

As a baroque specialist he sang the world of Monteverdi including “Il ballo dell’ingrate” and “Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in patria,” as well as John Blow’s “Venus & Adonis.”

His repertoire included the roles of Leporello in “Don Giovanni,” Simone in “Gianni Schicchi,” Frosch in “Die Fledermaus,” Lorenzo in “I Capuleti e i Montecchi,” and Pooh-bah in “The Mikado.” He also world-premiered operas by Arthur Lavandier, Yves Prin, and Aurélien Dumont.

He was also featured in numerous recordings including Rameau’s “Hippolyte et Aricie.”