Simoneau, Leopold

▪ 2007

      French Canadian lyric tenor (b. May 3, 1916, Saint-Flavien, Que.—d. Aug. 24, 2006, Victoria, B.C.), used intelligence and passion, a sparkling voice, and clear diction to become a leading hero in Mozart operas in the 1950s and '60s. Simoneau studied voice in Quebec City and Montreal, where he debuted as Hadji in Léo Delibes's Lakmé in 1941. He was the first singer to receive (1944) the Prix Archambault, which was awarded annually to encourage the career in music of a young artist. Simoneau studied for two years in New York and made his French debut in 1949 in Charles Gounod's Mireille. This marked the beginning of a long and rewarding career in Europe in addition to his performances in Canadian houses and at music festivals. He specialized in Mozart roles, especially Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, a role he performed on stage 185 times, but his repertory also included contemporary works (including a historic staging in Paris in 1952 of Igor Stravinsky's operatic oratorio Oedipus Rex with the composer conducting and poet Jean Cocteau narrating). Simoneau was married to the soprano Pierrette Alarie, with whom he often collaborated.

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