Upcoming show
Figaro!
Premiere on October 12th 2024
Hadrien Baudot
Stage director
Hadrien Baudot has been active for 10 years as a director, producer, actor, singer, set designer and sound technician in Flanders. In 2023, he won the prize for the best amateur theatre production in Leuven (Prix Euripide) and Flanders (Landjuweel) for his musical theatre production about Mozart (self-written dialogues set to music by Franz von Suppé, international collaboration with the Italian-Scottish conductor Dario Salvi, a world expert on Auber and Suppé). As a singer, Hadrien performs regularly in concert as a tenor, and takes part in productions such as those at the Lyric Studio of the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi, where he has appeared in G. Bizet’s ‘Carmen’, W.A. Mozart’s ‘Die Zauberflöte’ and J. Offenbach’s ‘Les Contes d’Hoffmann’.
Maria-Valentina Billeci
Soprano
Maria-Valentina Billeci holds three Masters degrees in singing from the Conservatoire Royal de Mons. She has convincing experience in major productions. In 2023, she was laureate of the Classic Academy event organised by the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (OPRL), performed Ravel’s Shéhérazade with the OPRL, debuted in the role of Michaëla in “Carmen” (G. Bizet) at the Théâtre équestre de Bretagne, and took part in a recital of French Mélodies by Ravel, Debussy, Chausson and Fauré organised by the Brussels operettetheater. She has previously taken part in numerous other opera and operetta productions, notably at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi (where she played Berta in “The Barber of Seville” by G. Rossini), and as a professional chorister in the Chœur de l’Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège and La Monnaie in Brussels.
Jean-Pierre Bruno
Actor
Jean-Pierre has 60 years of professional theatre experience. He made his debut as a child in the role of Picolo in the “Auberge du Cheval Blanc” (R. Benatzky) for a two-year tour, and took part in all the ORTF’s “Manège du Nord” programmes for four years. Hired by the Théâtre de Tourcoing at the age of 18 as an opera singer and dancer, he went on to work at the Sébastopol and the Opéra de Lille for 10 years. A dancer, singer, actor, stage director, author and composer, and director of the Théâtre Musical de Bruxelles, he has been invited to various festivals (in France: Château de Cheverny, Nîmes; in Spain: Cambril’s, Alcira, Montserat; etc.).
Loredana Gentile
Soprano
Loredana Gentile, a Belgian soprano of Sicilian origin, holds a Master’s degree in Lyric Art from the Conservatoire Royal de Liège. Loredana has extensive experience as a soloist in a variety of repertoires: Erste Dame (“Die Zauberflöte”, W.A. Mozart), Pauline (“La vie parisienne”, J. Offenbach), Jeannette (“Les noces de Jeannette”, Massé), Giannetta (“L’elisir d’amore”, G. Donizetti), Oscar (“Un ballo in maschera”, G. Verdi) at the Conservatoire Royal Liège. Verdi) at the Conservatoire Royal de Liège, La Marchande de fleurs (“Les mousquetaires au couvent”, Varney) at the Théâtre du Sébastopol in Lille, Lauretta (“Gianni Schicchi”, Puccini) and Musetta (“La bohème”, Puccini) at the Salle Philharmonique de Liège, Mystery (“The Fairy Queen”, Purcell), Lise (“Le jugement de Midas”, Grétry) at the Salle Académique de Liège and the CRR de Paris, Zerlina (“Don Giovanni”, W. A. Mozart), Jeannette (“Chanson gitane”, Yvain) at the Théâtre du Trianon in Liège, Olympia (“Les Contes d’Hoffmann”, Offenbach) at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi. As a chorister, she sings with The New Baroque Times, at the Theater Aachen and at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège.
Catherine Maufroy
Soprano
Catherine Maufroy joined the Children’s Choir of La Monnaie at the age of 9, where she discovered her vocation for opera singing. In 2011, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the Maastricht Conservatory with great distinction, in the class of Frans Kokkelmans, and a first prize in advanced studies at the Valenciennes Regional Conservatory two years later, with Daniel Ottevaere. In 2015, Catherine joined Lionel Lhote’s class at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel, where she obtained her Master’s degree with distinction. She was selected to take part in the Udo Reinemann Masterclasses at La Monnaie with Christianne Stotijn, Bernarda Fink, Anne Sofie von Otter, Olaf Bär and Barbara Bonney, among others. Catherine has appeared on stage as Gabrielle (Quatre Jours à Paris – F. Lopez), Saffi (Le Baron Tzigane – J. Strauss II) with the Société Royale des Matelots de la Dendre, and Caroline (La Chauve-Souris – J. Strauss II) and Simone (Les mousquetaires au couvent- L. Varney) alongside Lionel Lhote. She is currently training with Gabrielle Philiponet (France), Nelly Miricioiu (UK) and Annick Massis (France) as well as Philippe Riga (Belgium).
Jean-Denis Piette
Bass Baritone
Jean-Denis Piette obtained a master’s degree in organ from Jean-Baptiste Monnot at the Institut Royal Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie (IMEP) in Namur in 2023. At the same time, he studied singing with Benoît Giaux and Françoise Viatour (from whom he also graduated in 2024). His activities led him to join the MM Academy programme at the Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie, first as a chorister and then, more recently, as a soloist in productions of “Parsifal”, “Falstaf” and “Pikovaïa dama”. He has also worked with Alain Altinoglu and Nathalie Stutzmann. He also took part on two occasions in the opera studio at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi, in productions of W.A. Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” and J. Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann”, where he worked with Marcel Vanaud and Karine Van Hercke. In 2024, just after interpreting the role of Sarastro at the Opéra Grand Avignon, he performed a replacement role in the contemporary creation Brodeck at the Opéra Ballet Vlaanderen, then took part in the International Lyric Art Competition of Namur, where he won first prize and the audience prize.
Daniela Rodó
Musical director and pianist
Born in Costa Rica, Daniela Rodó studied at the renowned Central Music School of the Moscow PI Tchaikovsky State Conservatory under Professor Anatoly Ryabov. She then obtained a Bachelor of Piano Performance at the Royal Academy of Music in London under the tutelage of Diana Ketler and Pascal Nemirovski, and a Master’s degree with the highest distinction at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles under Professor Aleksandar Madzar. She also studied at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía with Dmitri Bashkirov and Denis Lossev. In 2021, she was awarded the “Alumna Sobresaliente” prize by Her Majesty Queen Sofía of Spain. She has performed on several occasions as a soloist at the National Theatre of Costa Rica for various Latin American heads of state. She has also performed for His Majesty Felipe VI of Spain and the ambassadors of the European Union in Costa Rica. Daniela Rodó has performed in the United States, Russia, England, Spain and Belgium. She has won first prize in various international concerts, which have led her to perform in theatres such as the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Damien Vliegen
Baritone
Damien Vliegen has a passion for opera and has been performing since 2017. His encounters quickly led him to take part in opera productions in Belgium and abroad. He can boast a varied repertoire. His most notable roles include Orpheus in J. Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld”, Danilo in F. Lehár’s “The Merry Widow”, and Dancaïre in a production of G. Bizet’s “Carmen” at the Royal Theater of Mons. He played Monostatos in W.A. Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi, and sang the role of Samuel in the English operetta “The Pirates of Penzance” by Gilbert & Sullivan at the Royal Hall in Harrogate (UK), as well as the role of Prince Saphir in “Bluebeard” by J. Offenbach. He recently played Spalanzani in J. Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi. He has taken part in Master Classes with leading singers such as Marcel Vanaud and Lionel Lhote.