Soprano
Chantal Santon Jeffery is among France's most acclaimed sopranos critically. She is also among the most versatile, with a repertory running from the Baroque to contemporary works.
Santon Jeffery is a native of Marseille. She attended university to study political science and obtained a degree in that field before switching to singing and matriculating at the Paris Conservatory. There she studied with
Udo Reinemann, Noelle Barker, and Margreet Honig, among others. She made her operatic debut in 1999, in a production of
Weber's Der Freischütz at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, under the baton of
Myung-Whun Chung. Beginning in 2001,
Santon Jeffery had an ongoing association with France's Arcal opera company. Her operatic repertory is notable for its diversity, running from the role of Nérine in Charpentier's Médée to a brand-new work by composer Frédéric Verrières. She has sung in world premieres in continental Europe, Wales, and Japan. Almost alone among contemporary sopranos, she has sung operas by
Purcell,
Haydn,
Mozart, and
Wagner (Der fliegende Holländer). In concert
Santon Jeffery has also sung 19th century works such as
Verdi's Requiem, appearing with major orchestras across France and beyond. She has been especially noted for her work with major conductors in the historical-performance movement related to French Baroque music. She has sung, among others, with
Le Concert Spirituel under
Hervé Niquet,
Les Arts Florissants under
William Christie, and
Les Talens Lyriques under
Christophe Rousset.
Santon Jeffery's appearances in the 2019-2020 season included those in a pair of
Rameau operas and the role of Fortune in
Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea under
Rousset. She has been heard on several recordings, including, in 2019, a reading of
Rameau's Les indes galantes on the Glossa label, conducted by Hungarian historical-performance specialist
György Vashegyi. Her roles for the 2019-2020 season included that of
Mozart's Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, K. 620, with two different companies, in Versailles and Avignon, both under the direction of
Niquet.
Santon Jeffery has given master classes at several institutions, including the University of Prague.