RÉMI ORTEGA
Baritone

 

The highly talented baritone Rémi Ortega specializes in character roles, while also having a repertoire that includes major leading roles.

This season, Rémi marks his first engagement in North America: in the autumn of 2026, he will perform the role of Jupiter in Jacques Offenbach’s operetta *Orphée aux Enfers* (Orpheus in the Underworld) with Opéra Bouffe du Québec, under the musical direction of Julien Patenaude and directed by Alain Zouvi.

He will also serve as narrator for a reimagined version of Camille Saint-Saëns’ *The Carnival of the Animals*, accompanied by the string quartet Les Variations Musicales.

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Additionally, he will return to the Théâtre des Abeilles in La Chaux-de-Fonds for two "Lyrico-Gustative" evenings—a concept blending opera with gastronomy—and will later participate in a benefit concert for the organization *143 La Main Tendue*.

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In March 2027, he will reprise *Between 2 Points*, a unique production that combines classical singing with contemporary dance, at the Théâtre du Passage in Neuchâtel.

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In April 2027, he will perform the role of Kilian in *Der Freischütz* (presented in a version associated with Berlioz) at the Théâtre du Passage in Neuchâtel, accompanied by the Orchestre des Lumières under the direction of Facundo Agudin. He will perform the role of Amury Giraud in the opera *Richard et Julienne* by Andrew Paul Macdonald, which will have its world premiere at the FOSE in July 2027.

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His recent engagements include: baritone soloist in *Le Rêve d’Etienne* at the Théâtre du Passage in Neuchâtel, Switzerland (December 2025); actor-narrator in *The Nutcracker* for *Les Variations Musicales* at the Salle Paderewski in Lausanne, Switzerland (January 2026); the role of the Podestà of Padua in Bizet’s *Le Docteur Miracle* at the Opéra de Rouen, France (January 26 – February 1, 2026); bass soloist in Mozart’s *Coronation Mass* (a *Le Concert des Rameaux* production at the Salle de Musique in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, March 29, 2026); and a solo performance, *Le Lyricomanshow* (produced by *Les Variations Musicales* at the Théâtre du Concert in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, July 3, 2026).

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A native of Marseille, he began his vocal studies at the city’s regional conservatory (*Conservatoire de Région*) under Claude Méloni. He later enrolled at the Lausanne University of Music (*Haute École de Musique de Lausanne*) in the class of Jörg Dürmüller, where he also participated in masterclasses led by Alain Garichot, Laurent Pillot, Yvonne Naef, and John Fiore.

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He made his stage debut as the Corporal in Donizetti’s *La Fille du régiment* in Marseille, conducted by Bruno Conti, followed by the roles of Pasek the Innkeeper and the Mosquito in Janáček’s *The Cunning Little Vixen* in Monthey, under the direction of Ivan Törzs.

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In 2015, he began to work more regularly with opera houses, notably in Switzerland at... At the Fribourg Opera, he has performed several roles, including Simon in the premiere of Gesseney-Rappo’s *Carlotta ou la Vaticane*, as well as Schlémil and Hermann in Offenbach’s *Les Contes d’Hoffmann*. He also sang the title role in Mozart’s *Le nozze di Figaro* (The Marriage of Figaro) under the direction of Leonardo García Alarcón at the BCV Concert Hall in Lausanne.

In 2019, he won the *Prix d'Interprétation* (Interpretation Prize) from *L'Instant Lyrique* at the *Concours des Maîtres du Chant* (Masters of Singing Competition). Since then, he has become a regular presence on the opera stage, finding a balance between operetta and *opéra-comique*.

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At the Clermont-Ferrand Opera, he sang the role of Taddeo in Rossini’s *L’italiana in Algeri*. He has also performed several roles at the Lausanne Opera, including Doolittle in *My Fair Lady*, Cacatois XXII in *L’île de Tulipatan*, the Baron de Pictordu in Viardot’s *Cendrillon*, Morales in *Carmen*, and the Podestat in Bizet’s *Le Docteur Miracle*.