Didier Henry

Didier Henry (born 24 May 1953) is a French baritone.
He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris before joining the Opéra National de Lyon. He is well known for his French opera roles, including those by Massenet, Gounod, Debussy, and Ravel. He also starred in a notable recording of Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges in French, under conductor Kent Nagano. The baritone is regularly invited on international stages, as often for lyrical productions than for concerts or recitals.
His career was marked by Pelléas's part. He has been in charge of the opera’s creation in Moscow in 1987 with the management of Manuel Rosenthal (recording for Dacca with Charles Dutoit, awarded Grammy Awards and Preis Deutschen Schallplatten Kritik in Germany). He performs the role in France, as well as abroad (Buenos-Aires with Frederica von Stade and Armin Jordan, Tokyo, and United States).
His directory also includes "Oreste in Iphigénie en Tauride" (Scala de Milan), Eugène Onéguine, the "Comte des Noces di Figaro" (or "Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte"), Marcello in La Bohême, Manon Lescaut from Massenet, Hamlet by Ambroise Thomas, Posa by Don Carlos, and Einsenstein (Gaillardin) in Die Fledermaus. He has also has songs conducted by Riccardo Muti, Myung Wung Chung, and Michel Plasson.
Henry is also a mélodie writer and stage director ("Monsieur Beaucaire" by André Messager at the Metz Opera, "Sophie Arnoult" by Gabriel Pierné, and "Le Portrait de Manon" by Massenet and Pelléas). He has also taught French mélodie with pianist Anne Le Bozec since October 2006 at the Hochschule de Karlsruhe. In addition, he is Maguelone’s record label manager.

• Ravel. Melodies. Maguelone
• Debussy. Pelléas. Dutoit

• Opera News -1997 "Baritone Didier Henry (previously distinguished in recordings of French melodies) is an admirable Harald, able to balance savage bluster with lyrical warmth. Tenor Gerard Garino sings Gwendoline's father, Armel, quite splendidly ..."
• Opera George Henry Hubert Lascelles Earl of Harewood, George Henry Hubert Lascelles Harewood (Earl of) - 2002 "natural warmth of delivery, remains for me the unequalled Pelleas, but Dutoit's Didier Henry shows that a fully equipped baritone can function very well in the part.
• The Good CD guide, 1993 Christopher Pollard - 1992 p255 "Didier Henry is a youthful, palpitating Pelléas. Cachemaille, though hard to ... The role of Pelléas can be sung either by a high baritone or by a tenor: again it is the latter and Eric Tappy therefore sounds all the more youthful and innocent ..."