Blanche Deschamps-Jéhin by Dupont

as Mignon in “Mignon” by Thomas her debut role at Monnaie Brussels

BLANCHE DESCHAMPS-JEHIN
18 September 1857- June 1923
French contralto

Studied singing in Lyons and Paris before making her professional opera début in 1879 in the title role of Thomas's “ Mignon” at La Monnaie in Brussels. She continued to sing at that opera house for the next several years, She joined the roster at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in the mid-1880s, singing there for more than a decade. In 1891 she made her first appearance at the Paris Opéra as Léonor in Donizetti's “ La favorite” She also occasionally performed at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo
She sang in numerous world premieres throughout her career, most notably originating the title role in Massenet’s “ Hérodiade” in 1881, Uta in Reyer’s “Sigurd “ in 1884, Margared in Lalo's “Le roi d'Ys “(1888), Franck’s “Hulda “(1894), Véronique in Bruneau’s “Messidor “ (1897). Madame de la Haltière in Massenet’s “Cendrillon “(1899) and the Mother in Charpentier's “Louise” (1900) and Baroness in Massenet’s “Chérubin” (1905).
Other roles included Fidès in Meyerbeer's” Le prophète”, Amneris in Verdi's” Aida”, Hedwige in Rossini's “William Tell,” Delilah in Saint-Saëns's “Samson et Dalila”, Gertrude in Thomas's “Hamlet” , Carmen in Bizet’s “Carmen” and Ortrud, Fricka, Brangäne and Erda in Wagner’s opera’s ,