Benjamin Bernheim

With his mature musicianship, powerful stage presence and engaging, approachable persona, French tenor Benjamin Bernheim stands out from the operatic crowd. In April 2019, he signed a long-term exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. His debut album for the yellow label, set for release this autumn, showcases the breadth and depth of his exceptional talent in a wide-ranging selection of tenor arias.

Accompanied by the Prague Philharmonia under the baton of Emmanuel Villaume, Bernheim presents a varied programme drawn from the Italian, Russian and French operatic repertoire. His vocal and expressive versatility can be heard, in Lensky's aria from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, an opera in which he enjoyed huge success at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, and in Edgardo's "Tombe degli avi miei" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. The music of his birthplace is particularly close to his heart, and is represented by arias such as "En fermant les yeux" from Massenet's Manon, "L'Amour! Oui, son ardeur" from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette and "Salut! demeure chaste et pure" from the same composer's Faust. "The French repertoire requires perfect diction and the ability to convey the meaning behind the text as well", observes Bernheim. "There is so much poetry in these pieces and there are so many details to discover in them. My aim is to bring all of this out in my performances. These are works in which I can give 150% and use every different facet of my voice."