Campus 2027: Lied and Melody

Internationally renowned, Natalie Dessay (without the “h,” a subtle homage to Natalie Wood) began her career in the coloratura soprano repertoire. (Queen of the Night, Lakmé, Zerbinetta, Olympia…)

Over the years, the artist has expanded his repertoire to include bel canto heroines, while continuing to champion the French repertoire.

With Philippe Cassard, her recital pianist, she has given around sixty concerts since 2012 on the most prestigious stages: Carnegie Hall in New York, Jordan Hall in Boston, Barbican in London, Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris,… This collaboration has resulted in the release of three CDs: “Debussy” (Erato), “Fiançailles pour rire” (Erato) and “Schubert” (Sony).

Considered by his peers, critics, and the public as one of the most engaging and accomplished musicians of his generation, Philippe Cassard was trained by Dominique Merlet and Geneviève Joy-Dutilleux at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. He graduated there in 1982 with First Prizes in Piano and Chamber Music.

He furthered his studies for two years at the Vienna University of Music and subsequently received guidance from the legendary Nikita Magaloff. A finalist in the Clara Haskil Competition in 1985, he won First Prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition in 1988.

“His lyric tenor voice had a youthful glow, yet he sang with plaintive beauty and piercing insight.” The New York Times

Precise vocal control, clear diction, intelligent musicality, and an ability to reach the heart of everything he sings secure Christoph Prégardien a place among the world’s greatest lyric tenors. Particularly noted as a Lieder interpreter, he also performs regularly with renowned orchestras around the globe.

He has collaborated with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras, the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, as well as with the Boston and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras, alongside conductors such as Barenboim, Metzmacher and Thielemann.

His extensive repertoire includes major Baroque, Classical, and Romantic oratorios and passions, as well as works from the 17th and 20th centuries. In opera, he has notably performed the roles of Tamino ( The Magic Flute ), Almaviva ( The Barber of Seville ), and Fenton ( Falstaff ). Teaching remains an important part of Christoph Prégardien’s musical life. After many years at the Zurich University of the Arts and a professorship at the Cologne Academy of Music, he continues to give masterclasses to young singers around the world. He has taught at several training sessions for piano/voice duos at the Royaumont Foundation (formerly the Orsay-Royaumont Academy) since 2016.

Pianist Ulrich Eisenlohr specializes in lieder accompaniment and chamber music. He has collaborated with many renowned German singers, conducted a complete cycle of Schubert lieder, and taught for many decades.

Eisenlohr was born in 1950. He studied piano at the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts, where his teacher was Rolf Hartmann, and pursued specialized studies in lieder with Konrad Richter at the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts. From the beginning of his career, Eisenlohr was primarily active as a vocal accompanist and chamber musician. His collaborators in the field of lieder include Christoph Prégardien, Matthias Goerne, Wolfgang Holzmair, and a long list of other German singers.

Camilla Tilling, one of Sweden’s most accomplished singers, has won the admiration of conductors, audiences and critics alike for her radiant soprano voice and outstanding artistry, during a long international career that has taken her to the world’s greatest opera, concert and recital stages.

An accomplished recitalist, Tilling has recorded numerous collections of Lieder by composers such as Strauss, Schumann, Schubert, and Grieg. She has toured extensively with her acclaimed “Swedish Nightingale” program, entitled “Jenny Lind: Love and Lieder,” including North America alongside the renowned pianist Emanuel Ax, and has performed regularly at the Bergen International Festival, the Oxford Lieder Festival, and Wigmore Hall in London. Her impressive discography also includes orchestral works by Haydn with Bernard Haitink, Handel and Purcell with Emmanuelle Haïm, Grieg with Paavo Järvi, Brahms with Marek Janowski, Cherubini with Riccardo Muti, as well as a critically acclaimed solo collection of arias by Mozart and Gluck.

After studying piano and chamber music at the Manhattan School of Music and the University of Oregon, Susan Manoff continued her studies with Gwendoline Kozlowski, deepening her knowledge of the Lied and mélodie repertoire. She won the Lilian and Paul Petri Competition for Advanced Study as both a soloist and accompanist, then moved to France where she worked with Gaby Casadesus and Noël Lee. A recipient of the Royaumont Foundation grant, she studied Lied and mélodie with the renowned vocal coach Ruben Lifschitz. In 1985, she was appointed role coach at the Paris Opera’s School of Lyric Art, accompanying all of Hans Potter’s and Christa Ludwig’s classes. Her work subsequently took her to the Munich Opera, the Capitole de Toulouse, and the Guildhall Opera House in London.

Passionate about chamber music, Susan Manoff regularly performs at festivals and in major concert halls such as the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Salle Gaveau, Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Konzerthaus Wien, alongside opera singers such as Véronique Gens, Patricia Petibon, Vincent LeTexier, Natalie Dessay, Hélène Delavault, and Christa Ludwig. A lover of theatre, she has also created numerous shows blending music and text, in which her partners have included Jean Rochefort, Fabrice Luchini, and Marie-Christine Barrault.

Version #1 of September 21, 2026
Validity period of version no. 1: 1 year, renewable

Course description/content of the training

Number of traines minimum / maximum

Floor staff: 4 piano & vocal duos
Maximum number of members: 5 piano & vocal duos

Prerequisites and conditions of access to training

To be a young professional singer and/or instrumentalist at the end of higher education, forming a duo.
Participants formally commit to attending the entire campus program.
The conditions of access are communicated during the training.

Educational objectives

Knowledge

• Understanding a sung and spoken text in its literal meaning as well as its subtext
• To integrate the pronunciation of sung and spoken texts in one’s native language as well as in foreign languages

Expertise

• Acquire the technical tools needed to interpret a repertoire, and know when and how to use them.
• Working and searching in a music library: finding a specific work or searching for lesser-known works to perform, identifying an edition and its relevance to a composer’s oeuvre.
• To take into account the information provided by an art historian in order to refine one’s interpretation of a work
• Defining one’s own interpretation of a work based on the advice provided by the supervisors

soft skills

• To hear and understand the requests of the supervisors and their musical suggestions
• To clearly express one’s musical and stage intentions and be able to justify them
• Sharing their interpretation with an audience during the final performance
• Adapting to the requirements of a repertoire (pronunciation, musicality of a language, theatrical performance…)

Skills targeted

At the end of the training the beneficiary will be able to :

• Learn the specific repertoire of French art songs and German Lieder
• To delve deeper into German and French prosody…
• Analyzing poetic texts
• Develop a concert program

Methods used

Teaching aids :

Practical, face-to-face instruction in the form of interpretation courses given by instructors in small groups or collectively depending on the repertoire covered.
The courses are taught in English or French.
One or more public presentations will take place during the Royaumont campus or off-campus. They bring together all the beneficiaries and are unpaid.

Technical resources available :

The rooms are spacious, equipped with music stands (fixed or folding), chairs or stools suitable for musicians (without armrests), and the instruments required for the lessons. Participants must bring their own instruments and sheet music, which are not provided. Outside of class time, rehearsal spaces can be made available free of charge, upon request and subject to the availability of rooms and instruments.
The abbey monument in its entirety (rooms and gardens)

Documentation via private drive.

Monitoring and evaluation methods

Before the training

Pre-selection based on application file (via the platform…) by the academic director, through a questionnaire which helps to identify the needs of the beneficiary.
Professional level assessment through biography, copies of awards and diplomas, and audio and/or video files.

During the course, face-to-face

• Evaluation of the beneficiary’s responsiveness and ability to quickly integrate the suggestions made by the consultant.
• During the presentation at the end of the training: the interpretation of one or more works in a real situation in front of an audience allows us to appreciate the evolution of the interpretation, as well as the emotional and physical postures.

The beneficiaries sign a sign-in sheet for each half-day.

At the end of training

A certificate stating the objectives, nature and duration of the course, and the results of the training assessment, is given to the beneficiary, along with the certificate where applicable.

Qualitative assessment methods

The beneficiary completes a qualitative evaluation form in order to assess the achievements of the training from an artistic, pedagogical, human and material point of view.
Concerts outside the training framework allow us to follow the evolution of the beneficiary’s career after the training, and in particular to assess the quality of the performance as well as the number of concerts given.

Accessibility and consideration of disability situations

The Royaumont Foundation has made the acceptance and participation of people with disabilities a strong commitment to its project. Our training courses are open to people with disabilities and different arrangements can be made according to the specificities of each course. To discuss your needs, please contact us when you register, or get in touch with our disability advisors.

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