Languages of Instruction:
French, Italian, German and English
French baritone René Massis has lead an artist agency since 2007. In addition to providing his expertise in vocal repertoire, he offers career advice to young singers, and assists them in presenting a clear artistic profile.
He studied voice in his hometown and in Milan. During his long career, he has sung on many of Europe’s stages, including those in Paris, Rome, Geneva, Milan, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse, Strasburg, Florence, Palermo, Glyndeborne, and in Frankfurt. He concentrated on roles of the Italian and French Belcanto style. Such roles have included Zurga in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Ramiro in L’Heure Espagnole, Albert in Werther, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Marcello in La Boheme, Posa in Don Carlo, Germont in La Traviata, Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, Ford in Falstaff, and the title role in Rigoletto. In addition to the leading baritone roles of Mozart’s major operas, he has been heard as Wozzeck and Eugen Onegin.
During his time as artistic director of the opera house in Lyon, he also acted as career advisor to the young singers of the ensemble and of the opera studio.
