Elsa Barthas

French mezzo-soprano Elsa Barthas began her musical studies at the Toulouse Conservatory, studying piano. After earning an aggregation in musicology and a bachelor’s degree in piano, she shifted her focus to singing, training with renowned instructors Jane Berbié and Gilles Cachemaille. She later completed her master’s degrees in singing and vocal pedagogy at the Haute école de musique de Genève. In 2010, she received the prize for the best interpretation of contemporary Dutch melody at the International Vocal Competition ’s-Hertogenbosch, followed by a second prize at the Bordeaux Opera Competition in 2013.

At 11 years old, Elsa performed in the children’s choir the St Matthew Passion under the direction of Michel Plasson. She has since continued to make ensemble music, notably with the Geneva Chamber Choir directed by Celso Antunes, the Madrigalist Ensemble of Gabriel Garrido, and the Grand Théâtre de Genève choir under Alan Woodbridge. In 2018, she joined the Chorus of Dutch National Opera.

As a soloist, Elsa has performed on numerous stages including Victoria Hall in Geneva, Bordeaux Opera (Récital), the Royal Opera of Versailles, and the Amphithéâtre Bastille in Paris. She has performed with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse at Castres Opera. At Dutch National Opera, she portrayed the role of Edelknabe in Tannhäuser and Lohengrin. In the 2023-2024 season, she sang the role of Seconda Conversa in Suor Angelica.