Anicet Castel

Language studies
SESSION I: French REPERTOIRE

A skilled linguist and performer specializing in historic French pronunciation, singing, and theatre

Born and raised in Loire Valley, France, bass-baritone Anicet Castel received a masters in Classics and Philology at La Sorbonne in Paris while training as a singer at the Orléans Music Academy. He then studied early vocal repertoire, specializing in baroque singing at the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles and in ancient musical studies at the Paris Conservatoire. He has also studied dozens of languages, both with tutors and as an autodidact. Combining his musical and linguistic expertise, he is often called to teach as a language coach and perform as a specialist of historically restored French pronunciation and theatrical gesture.

Anicet Castel appears regularly across Europe as a soloist and chorus member. He has performed with famous baroque ensembles such as les Arts Florissants, le Concert d'Astrée, le Poème Harmonique, and Accentus. His collaboration with recognized conductors, such as William Christie, Emmanuelle Haïm, Vincent Dumestre, Laurence Equilbey, and Christophe Rousset, has brought him to perform in renowned halls, including Opéra Garnier, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Center, Amsterdams Concertgebouw, and Palau de la Musica Catalana. As a soloist and choir member, Anicet can be heard in over thirty CD and DVD recordings.

His passion for theatre has led him to the stage as an actor and stage director, specializing in historical performances such as Les Plaisirs de Versailles in 2010 and Les Doux Tourments in 2012. Through his work as a singer and multilingual linguist, Anicet strives to bring music and theatre together through new musical collaborations.