The Maîtrise Populaire of the Opéra-Comique

The Maîtrise Populaire of the Opéra-Comique trains 120 young people aged 8 to 25 in the performing arts each year, within a framework that is both demanding and deeply supportive. Singing, theatre, dance, piano, tap dancing: a unique multidisciplinary training programme at the crossroads of school and stage.

With no prior artistic experience required nor academic selection, students join a committed collective in which the diversity of backgrounds is regarded as a strength. Thanks to an adapted timetable system developed in partnership with the French Ministry of Education, they pursue a course of study that combines academic education with artistic practice.

The stage lies at the heart of the pedagogical project: each year, students take part in numerous productions alongside professional artists whether at the Opéra-Comique or beyond its walls.

At the heart of the Maîtrise Populaire lies a firm belief: artistic excellence must remain accessible to all. By reaching out to students across the whole of the Île-de-France region, it opens its doors to young people who might never otherwise have imagined such a path for themselves.

Team

To fulfil the Maîtrise Populaire’s many ambitions, the teaching team brings together specialised instructors trained at some of the foremost French institutions — including the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, the CNSMD and the Pôle supérieur d’enseignement artistique de Paris — as well as internationally renowned establishments such as the Merce Cunningham Company, The Juilliard School and the Conservatoire de Lausanne.

Artistic direction is entrusted to Louis Langrée, working in close collaboration with the artistic and pedagogical committee: Clara Brenier (choirmistress), Christine Bonneton (choreographer) and Dorothée Voisine (voice teacher).

The Opéra-Comique would like to thank Amy Dubin, Nicole Bouton, all its anonymous donors, the donors to the Gala auction, and the donors to the ‘Growing Up on Stage’ campaign