French soprano Andréa Guiot has died at the age of 93 due to COVID-19. The French soprano passed on Feb. 15 in Nîmes.

Born in Garons, France, Guiot studied voice with the tenor Marcello Santalouna and later studied at the Conservatoire de Paris for four years.

She went on to make her stage debut in 1955 at the Opéra de Nancy portraying Marguerite in Gounod’s “Faust.” A few years later she joined the Opéra-Comique in Paris where she appeared as Antonia in Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” and became a regular with the company from 1957 to 1972. She would perform such roles as Gounod’s “Mireille” and Marguerite, Massenet’s “Manon,” Micaëla in Bizet’s “Carmen,” and Mimi in Puccini’s “La Bohème.”

In 1959 she became a member of the Opéra de Paris where she would sing leading roles in the French and Italian repertoire. Over the years she would become one of the great interpreters of “Mirelle” and it would become her signature role. She was also well known for her work in Mozart’s operas.

She would retire from the stage in 1975 singing the role of Elisabeth de Valois in Verdi’s “Don Carlos” in Strasbourg.

After retiring, Guiot became a professor at the Conservatoire de Paris and gave private lessons. She was also recognized as Chevalier in the Ordre national du Mérite and Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.