Catherine Pillonel-Bacchetta (Contralto)

Born: Neuchâtel, Switzerland

The Swiss contralto, Catherine Pillonel-Bacchetta, studied singing at the Conservatoire de La Chaux-de-Fonds, then at the Conservatoire de Lausanne with Katharina Begert, crowning her studies with a prize of virtuosity in March 2001. After winning the prize of the Foundation Colette Mosetti in 1997, she completed her training with Laura Sarti, Christa Ludwig, Hugues Cuénod and James Bowman, as well as training course in Berlin on invitation of Professor Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

In 1999, her success with the competition and the prize-winning of the Conservatoire gave Catherine Pillonel-Bacchetta the opportunity to sing Mozart with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne r the baton of Jonathan Darlington. She continues to appear regularly as a soloist, whether it is in concert or recital. She has appeared so far with leading conductors such as Michel Corboz, Hervé Klopfenstein, John Duxbury or Christophe Gesseney, of many occasions in the field of the oratorio. On the stage, her lyric formation, led in particular by Gary Magby, Alain Garichot and Stephan Grögler, enabled her to collaborate with the Opéra of Fribourg, the Théâtre of Jorat (Mozart & Salieri) and the Opéra of Lausanne, where she recently sang the role of Dido in Dido & Aeneas by H. Purcell. She is also gladly devoted to more contemporary repertoire (Pierrot Lunaire by Arnold Schoenberg, works of Cage, Luciano Berio or György Kurtág), as well as to creations of works of Swiss composers as Sylvie Courvoisier or, all lately, Sirvart Kazandjian.

Source: Ensemble Vocal Euterpe Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (January 2005)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (January 2005)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Christophe Gesseney

Alto

BWV 36, BWV 39, BWV 106, BWV 232

Links to other Sites

Catherine Pillonel Bacchetta, alto (Ensemble Vocal Euterpe) [French]