Anne Azéma (born October 19, 1957) is a French-born soprano, scholar, and stage director. She is currently artistic director of the

Boston Camerata The Boston Camerata is an early music ensemble based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Narcissa Williamson, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as an adjunct to that museum's musical instrument collection. The Camerata incorporat ...

. She has been an important or leading singer of

early music Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad musical era for the beginning of Western classic ...

since 1993. She has created and directed programs for the Boston Camerata and is also noted as a music scholar. She is perhaps best known for performing music from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can re ...

songs from the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass id ...

period, Baroque sacred music, Shaker song, and contemporary music theater. She is also a music educator and a researcher. She has performed in Japan,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

the US The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, Australia and elsewhere.

Career

Anne Azéma was born in

Niort Niort (; Poitevin: ''Niàu''; oc, Niòrt; la, Novioritum) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department, western France. It is the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres. The population of Niort is 58,707 (2017) and more than 177,000 people live in the ...

, France, on October 19, 1957. She spent her childhood in Strasbourg and came to the United States to study at the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on ...

in 1979. She first sang with Boston Camerata in the 1981–1982 season. Her special field is secular/vernacular song of France and

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border ...

in the

. She shared a "''Grand Prix du Disque''" for her role as Iseult in the Boston Camerata's recording of ''

Tristan and Iseult Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Based on a Celtic legend and possibly other sources, the tale is a tragedy about the illi ...

''. Four solo recital albums, ''The Unicorn'', ''The Game of Love'', ''Provence Mystique'' and ''Etoile du Nord'' also document her original work in this area. Azéma is a founding member of the

Camerata Mediterranea Camerata Mediterranea is a French and American nonprofit organization and an international, intercultural institute of musical exchanges. Camerata Mediterranea devotes itself to research, dialogue, and pedagogy involving the diverse musical civili ...

, touring with them internationally and appearing on all of their CDs (Edison Prize). She has also been prominent in many of the Boston Camerata's American music projects, taking the role of Mother

Ann Lee Ann Lee (29 February 1736 – 8 September 1784), commonly known as Mother Ann Lee, was the founding leader of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, or the Shakers. After nearly two decades of participation in a r ...

of the Shakers in the dance-and-music theater work "Borrowed Light" (premiered in 2004) by Finnish choreographer Tero Saarinen and Azéma's husband, Camerata director emeritus Joel Cohen. Azéma's current discography numbers over thirty five recordings as a soloist, recitalist, and/or director on the Warner — Erato,

Harmonia Mundi Harmonia Mundi is an independent record label which specializes in classical music, jazz, and world music (on the World Village label). It was founded in France in 1958 and is now a subsidiary of PIAS Entertainment Group. Its Latin name ''h ...

, Virgin, Nonesuch,

Bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

, Calliope, Atma and K 617 labels. Anne Azéma is the founder and director of the European-based Ensemble Aziman. In 2007 Ms. Azéma directed the music for a staged work ''Le Tournoi de Chauvency'', performed in major theaters of eastern France and

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small land ...

. In 2011, Azéma was decorated as a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres of the French Republic and promoted Officier des Arts et des Lettres in 2021.

Discography

Soloist

CDs Recordings: Recital and Music Direction * Le Tournoi de Chauvency : Une joute d’Amour en Lorraine, K617- 2007 * Etoile du nord : Gauthier de Coincy et le miracle médiéval, Calliope - 2003 (CD of the Year, Toronto Star, 10 de Répertoire) * Die Stadt der Narre: weltliche und geistliche Macht im Frankreich und der Provence des Mittlealters, WDR - 2001 * El Maestro, WDR - 2000 * Provence mystique : Sacred Songs of the Middle Ages, Erato - 1998 (10 de Répertoire, **** ''

Le Monde de la musique ''Le Monde de la musique'' was a French monthly musical magazine published from 1978 to 2009 with a circulation of 20,000 copies in 2008. It was founded in 1978 by ''Le Monde'' and ''Télérama ''Télérama'' is a weekly French cultural and tel ...

'', YYYYY Diapason, nominated for the Grand Prix des Discophiles, ffff Télérama, 5 Classica) * Le Jeu d’amour : the game of love in Medieval France, Erato – 1996, (10 de Répertoire, **** Le Monde de la Musique) * The Unicorn : Medieval French love songs, Erato - 1994 (10 de Répertoire, Choc du Monde de la Musique, 'Critics Choice’ Gramophone, YYYYY Diapason)

As vocal soloist and Director

* Hodie Christus Natus Est, The Boston Camerata, Harmonia Mundi - 2021 * Dido and Aeneas: An Opera for Distanced Lovers, The Boston Camerata - 2020 * Free America! The Boston Camerata, Harmonia Mundi - 2018 * Treasures of Devotion, The Boston Camerata, Music and Arts - 2018 * A Mediterranean Christmas, The

, Warner - 2006 * L'harmonie du Monde, Doulce Mémoire, Virgin/Naïve - 2003 * Li tans Nouviaus, Constantinople Ensemble, ATMA - 2003 (nominated Opus, Montréal) * The Almanac :

Shira Kammen Shira Kammen is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. She received her degree in music from the University of California, Berkeley and studied vielle with Margriet Tindemans. She has performed and taught throughout the world and has played on se ...

and Friends, Bright Angel Records - 2003 * Golden Harvest: More Shaker songs, The Boston Camerata, Glissando - 2000 * Cantigas, Camerata Mediterranea, Erato (Edison Prize, 10 de Répertoire) - 1999 * Liberty Tree, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1998 * What then is Love: Elizabethan Songbook, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1998 * Douce Beauté,

Pierre Guédron Pierre Guédron (c. 1570 in Châteaudun Châteaudun () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It was the site of the Battle of Châteaudun during the Franco-Prussian War. Ge ...

, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1998 * Angels, The Boston Camerata &

Tod Machover Tod Machover (born November 24, 1953, in Mount Vernon, New York), is a composer and an innovator in the application of technology in music. He is the son of Wilma Machover, a pianist and Carl Machover, a computer scientist. He was named Direc ...

, Erato - 1997 * Johnny Johnson,

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

; The Boston Camerata, Erato (Disque de l'année, Le Monde; Diapason D'Or; Choc du Monde de la Musique) – 1997 * Brain Opera: Tod Machover - 1996 * Trav'ling Home: American Spirituals, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1996 *

Carmina Burana ''Carmina Burana'' (, Latin for "Songs from Benediktbeuern" 'Buria'' in Latin is a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces are mostly bawdy, irreveren ...

, The Boston Camerata, Erato ( 10 de Répertoire) - 1996 * Farewell Unkind, Songs and Dances of John Dowland, The Boston Camerata. Erato (Choc du Monde de la Musique) - 1996 * Quel Diletto, Organisatie Oude Muziek, Utrecht – 1995 *

Le Roman de Fauvel The ''Roman de Fauvel'' is a 14th-century French allegorical verse romance of satirical bent, generally attributed to , a clerk at the French royal chancery. The original narrative of 3,280 octosyllabics is divided into two books, dated to 1310 ...

, The Boston Camerata, Erato, 10 de Répertoire) – 1995 * Simple Gifts: Shaker Chants and Spirituals, The Boston Camerata, Erato – 1995 * Bernatz Ventadorn: Le Fou sur le Pont, Camerata Mediterranea, Erato (nominated, Grand Prix des Discophiles, Critic's Choice, Grammophone, ) - 1994 * An American Christmas, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1993 * Nueva España, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1992 * Jean Gilles, Lamentations; The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1992 * The American Vocalist, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1991 * Lo Gai Saber, Camerata Mediterranea, Erato - 1991 * A Baroque Christmas, The Boston Camerata, Nonesuch - 1991 * Valis, Tod Machover, Bridge - (CD of the Year, The New York Times) - 1990 * Le Pont Sacré, Erato (Référence de Compact) - 1990 * A Renaissance Christmas, The Boston Camerata, Nonesuch - 1989 * Jean Gilles, Requiem; The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1989 * Tristan & Iseult, The Boston Camerata, Erato (Choc du Monde de la Musique, 10 de Répertoire, Grand Prix du Disque) - 1987 * Noël, Noël: A French Christmas, Erato - 1988 * New Britain, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1986 * La Primavera, The Boston Camerata, Erato – 1983 * Josquin des Prés; Missa Pange Lingua et motets, Harmonia Mundi - 1982

References

* https://operawire.com/the-boston-cameratas-anne-azema-given-major-honor-by-french-government/

Sources

* * * https://m.facebook.com/thebostoncamerata/photos/a-treasureone-of-the-best-early-music-ensembles-in-the-worldtreasures-of-devotio/10157673411584048/ * * https://longy.edu/team/anne-azema/ * https://bostoncamerata.org/2021site/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Anne-Azema-Honored-December-2021.pdf * Hodie Christus Natus Est https://bostoncamerata.org/2021site/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/905339DerSpiegel.pdf * Hodie Christus Natus Est https://www.resmusica.com/2021/12/22/la-boston-camerata-vous-souhaite-nova-gaudia-pour-noel-harmonia-mundi/ * Hodie Christus Natus Est https://www.millenniumofmusic.com/medieval-christmas-special/ * France Musique, Anne Azéma: https://www.francemusique.fr/emissions/musique-matin/la-matinale-avec-anne-azema-98772

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Azema, Anne French emigrants to the United States American operatic sopranos People from Niort American performers of early music Women performers of early music Living people 1957 births New England Conservatory alumni 20th-century American women opera singers 21st-century American women opera singers Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres