Baryton
BOUTILLIER Jérôme
Also an accomplished pianist and vocal coach, baritone Jérôme Boutillier graduated from the Pôle Supérieur Paris Boulogne-Billancourt, where he studied with Blandine de Saint-Sauveur.
A classical revelation by ADAMI in 2016, his early career was marked by his last-minute replacement in the role of Luddorf (La Nonne Sanglante by Gounod) at the Opéra Comique in June 2018. After making his debut at the Grand Théâtre de Genève as Morales (Carmen), he won Second Prize at the 6th edition of the Paris Opera Competition at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.
A strong advocate for French repertoire, he performed as Bardi (Dante by Godard) in Saint-Etienne in March 2019, followed by Hagen (Sigurd by Reyer) at the Opéra National de Lorraine in October of the same year. A significant role debut was his first Zurga (Les Pêcheurs de perles) at the Opéra de Toulon in December 2019, before performing Gaveston (La Dame blanche) at the Opéra Comique. During the pandemic, he performed Ralph (La Jolie Fille de Perth) and Zurga at a Bizet Gala at the Opéra de Montpellier under Laurence Equilbey’s direction, and later reprised Zurga at the Opéra de Marseille alongside Patrizia Ciofi and Julien Dran.
He then portrayed his first Albert (Werther) in Montpellier, followed by his debut as Don Giovanni at the Nuits Lyriques de Marmande in August 2021.
In 2021-2022, he returned to the Salle Favart for the roles of Parker (Les Eclairs, world premiere by Philippe Hersant) and Capulet (Roméo et Juliette). He later achieved great success with his first Hamlet at the Opéra de Saint-Étienne before tackling Oreste (Iphigénie en Tauride) at the Opéra de Rouen and his first Rodrigo di Posa (Don Carlo) at the Opéra de Marseille. He also made his North American debut as Valentin (Faust) at the Opéra de Québec and performed Claudio (Béatrice et Bénédict) at the Berlioz Festival conducted by John Nelson.
In 2022-2023, he recorded the role of Philoctète (Déjanire by Saint-Saëns) with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, then performed Marcello (La Bohème) at the Capitole de Toulouse. He made his debut at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie as the Baron (La Vie parisienne), which he also recorded with the Palazzetto Bru Zane. He also made his debut at the Opéra National de Paris as Ludovic Tézier’s cover in Hamlet and as the Duke of Verona (Roméo et Juliette). He also performed Germont (La Traviata) at La Seine Musicale with Mathieu Herzog and reprised Luddorf at the Opéra de Saint-Étienne.
Recently, he performed Nelusko (L’Africaine) and Germont at the Opéra de Marseille, as well as Escamillo (Carmen) at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the Baron in Montpellier, Karnac (Le Roi d’Ys) in Budapest with the Palazzetto Bru Zane, and Ben Saïd (Le Tribut de Zamora by Gounod) at the Opéra de Saint-Étienne. He also made his debut in Italy with Albert at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa and in Germany with Fieramosca (Benvenuto Cellini) at the Semperoper in Dresden, where he will return next season.
His upcoming projects include three concerts with Anna Netrebko in Linz, Bucharest, and at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Athanaël (Thaïs) in Saint-Étienne, the Marquis de la Force (Dialogues des Carmélites) in Rouen, as well as Méphistophélès (Faust) in the rare opera-comique version of the work at the Opéra Comique and in Lille. He will also make his debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper with Escamillo.
Adagio Artists
“Second smart move: casting Jérôme Boutillier, who played the King in 2018, in the central role of Ben-Saïd. At 39, the French baritone—whose growth has been relentless—appears at the peak of his powers. The tone is beautiful, the delivery firm and even, the diction flawless, and his stage presence commanding. We were very impressed by Tassis Christoyannis six years ago. Jérôme Boutillier convinced us even more, especially in his opening aria of Act III (‘Ô, Xaïma, daigne m’entendre’), which we had not remembered with such awe.” (Opéra Magazine)
“The Hamlet brought to life by Jérôme Boutillier commands admiration. After being named ADAMI Classical Revelation in 2016 and Rising Star of 2020 by Forumopera readers, he has forged his path, and this masterful role debut confirms all his qualities. The beauty of his timbre, the projection, the vocal sustain, the sovereign diction, the total stage commitment—everything is splendid. Both musically and dramatically, the widest expressive palette is showcased throughout the performance. From ‘Ô vin, dissipe la tristesse,’ deceptively cheerful, to the confrontation with his mother and his famous monologue introduced by the English horn: from start to ambiguous finish, the character is captivating. The arias are superb, on par with the recitatives, dialogue, and rare ensembles. The nuances, the uncertainties clouding his mental balance—everything is conveyed with precision. The emotion is constant, as if the work were brand new. The audience is spellbound.” (Forumopera)
“In Saint-Étienne, Hamlet crowns the rise of Jérôme Boutillier, a baritone previously noted in supporting roles in French productions. His career is bound to explode soon, given the impressive musical expressiveness of his nuanced palette, the power, and the ‘no subtitles needed’ clarity of his diction—paired with a notably physical commitment. Nothing undermines the noble, clear line of his singing. It’s an astonishing mastery in service of a portrayal that undeniably anoints this new Prince of Elsinore among today’s French baritones, alongside the likes of Stéphane Degout and Ludovic Tézier.” (Resmusica)
“‘Jérôme Boutillier (Hamlet) and Jeanne Crousaud (Ophelia), a couple onstage and off, sent the Saint-Étienne audience into raptures with two landmark incarnations of their respective roles. Boutillier is simply spectacular in the title role, immediately placing him among the finest French baritones of his generation. How can one not melt before his cello-like legato, his impeccable diction clarity, the bite in his timbre, his ease with the perilous high notes peppered throughout his part, and finally (perhaps most importantly) his incredible stage ease and evident dramatic involvement? He is equally masterful in his ‘showcase’ arias like ‘Ô vin, dissipe la tristesse’ and those of high dramatic intensity, notably the famed ‘To be or not to be,’ delivered here in a profoundly moving manner. With this magnificent role, Jérôme Boutillier enters the ranks of the greats!” (Opera Online)
BOUTILLIER Jérôme
Médias
