Monique de Pondeau (3 January 1929 – 16 December 1988) was a French soprano, active mainly from the 1950s to the 1970s, and a voice teacher at the Bordeaux Conservatoire.
Biography Born Monique Germaine Albane Soueix de Pondeau in Versailles, she studied voice and began performing on French stages in the mid-1950s. In 1956, she performed the role of Passerole in the opera Le Chevalier de neige at the Grand Théâtre de Nancy under the direction of Jésus Etcheverry. The production was revived at the Opéra-Comique during the 1960–1961 season.
She joined the company of the Paris Opera. There, she sang the role of Elvire in La Muette de Portici in 1971, performing alongside André Mallabrera and Pierre Lamy under the direction of Jean Doussard. The same year, she portrayed Claudine in La Fille du tambour-major alongside Christiane Harbell and Louis Musy, conducted by Richard Blareau. Earlier in 1962, she performed the role of Monica in Gian Carlo Menotti's The Medium at the Opéra-Comique, appearing alongside Denise Scharley and Solange Michel.
After 1971, de Pondeau turned her focus toward teaching. She became a voice professor at the Bordeaux Conservatoire, where she trained several notable students, including Agnès Massias-Bognenko, who won multiple awards in her class.
She died on 16 December 1988 in Saint-Laurent-et-Benon (Gironde).
Personal life Monique de Pondeau was the mother of the operatic tenor Thierry Dran. Through him, she was the grandmother of tenor Julien Dran, continuing three generations of opera singers within the family.
Repertoire + Operatic roles performed by Monique de Pondeau Year Work Role Venue Ref. 1956 Le Chevalier de neige Passerole Grand Théâtre de Nancy 1960–1961 Le Chevalier de neige Passerole Opéra-Comique 1962 The Medium (Le Médium) Monica Opéra-Comique 1971 La Muette de Portici Elvire Opéra de Paris 1971 La Fille du tambour-major Claudine Opéra de Paris
Recordings + Commercial recordings Year Work Role Conductor Label Ref. 1971 La Muette de Portici Elvire Jean Doussard Accord 1971 La Fille du tambour-major Claudine Richard Blareau Accord
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