The Classical Music Victories are taking place in Brest on Friday. Among the nominated artists is the Franco-Algerian soprano Tamara Bounazou, 30 years old, hoping to share an art that she considers “so universal” and “wonderful” with as many people as possible.
The Classical Music Victories are being held for the first time in Brest this Friday, March 20, with several new generation artists competing. Among them, the Franco-Algerian soprano Tamara Bounazou, nominated in the “lyric artist revelation” category, will be present at the Quartz for this event broadcast on France 3.
This nomination is seen as “a joy” by the 30-year-old singer, who advocates for an art that she describes as “so universal” and “wonderful”. “Everyone should get involved,” she told AFP.
Since starting in 2019, Tamara Bounazou has performed on several major stages, such as the Champs-Elysées Theater, the Paris Opera, and the Philharmonie de Cologne. She has worked with renowned conductors and musical directors like Marc Minkowski and Barbara Hannigan.
Last fall, she was particularly noted for her title role in Gluck’s “Iphigénie en Tauride” at the Opéra-Comique, both for her soprano voice and stage presence.
“I grew up in an environment that didn’t necessarily lead me to opera,” the singer recalls.
Born to Peugeot factory workers in Sochaux, Tamara Bounazou grew up in public housing in the Chiffogne neighborhood of Montbéliard.
However, her parents encouraged their six children to pursue music. She attended the Conservatoire de Montbéliard, where she studied under soprano Claudine Bunod and learned classical guitar.
She continued her training at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon before going to Vienna for her master’s degree to “work on the Mozart repertoire and (her) German”.
In her family, where all four grandparents are Algerian, music has always held a significant place. “We listened to Aznavour, Brel, Barbara, but also Idir, Rachid Taha, Souad Massi, Oum Kalthoum,” she remembers.
As a teenager, the singer discovered the power of her voice. “It felt like having a superpower, for the effect it has on people,” she explains.
Today, she sees her voice more as magic: “I see my voice as magic, as if I could cast spells. I am always looking for magic in this world. We really need it.”
Keen on making opera more accessible, Tamara Bounazou also created her channel “Tamarabou” on the Twitch streaming platform.
“I explain what opera is, that there is a story, that it’s not always in Italian, that there are also contemporary operas. I show various stage productions,” she details. The artist is also active on Instagram and TikTok.
Passionate, she can spend six hours analyzing Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin”. She also doesn’t hesitate to reinterpret some works from a contemporary perspective.
“Mozart’s Don Giovanni is 100% MeToo. It’s a real mirror of male impunity in the face of violence against women!” she believes.
She also has a critical view of Puccini’s “La Bohème”: “Certainly, it’s a very beautiful love story, but it’s mostly the story of a woman who dies because she is in dire poverty!”
Tamara Bounazou, who says she loves “all styles”, will be in Lausanne at the end of April playing the role of Donna Clara in Alexander von Zemlinsky’s “The Dwarf”.
For those who are hesitant to attend an opera house, the soprano reminds us that prices can be accessible.
“There are often reduced rates… Some tickets to see Beyoncé are more expensive than an opera ticket.”
Karine Perret, AFP
