What became of them? « Le Poème Harmonique

2nd Prize – Johanna Falkinger, Soprano, Austria

Johanna Rosa Falkinger is an Austrian soprano with a passion for early music. She studied in Linz, Helsinki and Vienna with Christa Ratzenböck, Roberta Invernizzi and Tanya Aspelmeier. After winning second prize in the ‘Concours Corneille’ in 2021, her career took off – she also won the ‘International Schmelzer Baroque Competition’ in Melk and the ‘Aria Borealis Vocal Competition’ in Bodø in 2022. In 2023, she was part of the Salzburg Festival’s Young Singers Project. Johanna has worked with Jordi Savall, Concentus Musicus Wien, Ensemble 1700 and Dorothee Oberlinger, Ensemble L’Arpeggiata and Christina Pluhar, Finnish Baroque Orchestra and Norwegian Baroque Ensemble.

© Markus Sandner

Public Prize and Young Talent Prize – William Shelton, Contertenor, France

For several years William Shelton has been a regular guest soloist with French ensembles such as Pygmalion, Les Ambassadeurs, Alia Mens, L’Escadron volant de la Reine and le Caravansérail, and abroad with Vox Luminis, Collegium Vocale Gent, Balthasar Neumann Ensemble & Chor, La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Musica Getutscht, A Nocte Temporis and Gli Angeli. He was a member of the first class of young singers at the Académie Philippe Jaroussky in 2017. He has won several international competitions: Young Artist Award at the Cesti Competition in Innsbruck, 2nd Prize at the Froville Competition, 1st Prize at the World Bach Competition at the Boulder Bach Festival, Audience Prize and Young Talent Prize at the Corneille Competition. William Shelton has been represented by RSB Artists since 2022.

2nd Prize, Public Prize & Young Talent Prize – Julie Roset, Soprano, France

After studying in Avignon and Geneva, Julie Roset won second prize, the Audience Prize and the Young Talent Prize at the 2019 Corneille Competition. A graduate of the prestigious Julliard School in New York, she won the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition in 2022 and first prize at Operalia in 2023. She made her debut at the Paris Opera as Amour (Medée), at the Opéra de Lorraine (Die Schöpfung) and at the Metropolitan Opera in the 2024/25 season. She made her debut in the title role of Zémire et Azor by Grétry at the Opéra Comique, as Valetto/Amore in L’Incoronazione di Poppea at the Aix-en-Provence Festival and as Tamiri in Il re pastore at the Salzburger Festspiele. She performs frequently in concert and works regularly with the ensembles Cappella Mediterranea, Les Arts Florissants, Pygmalion and Twelfth Night. As a founding member of the Ensemble La Néréide, she published their first album, Luzzaschi: Il Concerto secreto.

1st Prize – Eugénie Lefebvre, Soprano, France

After studying at the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, Eugénie Lefebvre joined the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Since winning the 2017 ‘Concours Corneille’ in Rouen, she has performed regularly with Le Poème Harmonique, and in particular contributed to the recording of Cavalli’s Egisto at the Opéra Royal de Versailles, at the invitation of Vincent Dumestre. Now one of France’s most sought-after baroque sopranos, she appears on stage with Les Talens Lyriques, Pygmalion, Correspondances, Concert d’Astrée and Les Arts Florissants, not forgetting the Queen’s Flying Squadron and Les Surprises, two ensembles close to her heart.

© Didier Knoff

Third Prize – Jana Pieters, Soprano, Belgium

Then a student at the Hogeschool Gent Conservatorium, Jana Pieters won the Audience Prize in the ‘Concours Corneille’ 2017. After graduating in 2018, she embarked on a career as a part-time singing teacher in Belgium at the Muziekacademie Sint-Pieters-Woluwe, and still currently at the Kunstacademie Poperinge. Alongside her teaching career, Jana Pieters has taken part in numerous productions at the Ghent School of the Arts, as well as performances in heritage venues in Belgium and Europe. She has performed with ensembles such as Vox Luminis, Il Gardellino, Les Abbagliati and Le Pavillon de Musique. Her voice can also be heard on various CD recordings with music by Telemann, Graupner, Bach and (re)discoveries by Rolle & Sarcuni.

2nd Prize – Augustin Lusson, Violin, France

A tightrope walker and soloist from Poitiers, Augustin Lusson has recently distinguished himself as one of the most singular violinists and ensemble leaders of his generation. Augustin won 2nd Prize in the ‘Corneille Competition’ and was a laureate of the ‘Biber Competition’ in 2016. That same year, he co-founded the Beggar’s ensemble, of which he is still artistic director, and with which he won the 1st Prize, Audience Prize and Radio NPO Prize at the ‘Van Wassenaer Competition’ in Utrecht in 2018. In 2020, he decided to set up his own label ‘Bathos records’. He has performed with ensembles such as the Ricercar Consort, Le Concert Spirituel and Les Musiciens de Saint Julien, to name but a few.