Gaëlle Méchaly

Gaëlle Méchaly (born 15 June 1970 in Marseille, France) is a soprano. She is a regular member of Les Arts Florissants and has appeared in a number of operatic productions of Baroque works directed by its founder, William Christie.
Career
Mechaly trained as a classical singer at the Conservatoire National de Région in Marseille. She has subsequently performed internationally, and contributed to a number of recordings, from Baroque to contemporary music and film soundtracks.
Méchaly made her debut at the Opera de Marseille. In 1993, she won the jury Special Prize at the Concours International d'Oratorio et de Lied de Clermont-Ferrand, and in 1994 she won the Grand Prix Henri Sauguet and the Prix de La SACEM for 20th-century music. A reviewer wrote of her performance as Angélique in the eponymous work by Jacques Ibert "Gaëlle Méchaly’s light and flexible soprano is just right for the terrifying main role".
In 2001, Méchaly appeared in the finals of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, where she performed works by Mozart, Bizet and Donizzetti. She was only the sixth French contestant to reach this stage of the competition since 1991. The recording of Zoroastre was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Opera Recording in 2004.
In 2010, she sang at the premiere of Kaija Saariaho's Tempest Songbook in Orleans, France. In 2023 and 2024, Mechaly has performed a Renaissance, Baroque and contemporary repertoire of "fantasies and love songs of yesterday and today" with the ensemble TM+, under the direction of , cellist David Simpson and viola da gamba player Silvia Lenzi.
Selected recordings
Classical albums
*Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Véronique Gens, Nathan Berg, Sophie Marin-Degor, Claire Brua, Sophie Daneman, Gaëlle Méchaly, Les Arts Florissants and William Christie. Erato 4509984772, 1 April 1995.
*Ibert: Angélique, Carmelo Caruso, Gaëlle Méchaly, Bruce Fowler; Palermo Teatro Massimo Chorus & Orchestra, led by Yoram David. Warner Fonit, 8573-83513-2 (1997).
*Rameau: Zoroastre, William Christie & Les Arts Florissants, Erato /Warner Classics 0927 43182-2 (2003).
*Rameau: Zephyre La Guirlande William Christie & Les Arts Florissants, Erato/Warner Classics 8573-857742 (2007)
Albums
*Poèmes Vol.1 (2020) Paul Fargier & Gaëlle Méchaly, Passeur de Mots
*Les Fleurs du Mal de Charles Baudelaire, vol. 1 (2023) Paul Fargier, Daniel Mesguich, Gaëlle Mechaly, Passeur de Mots.
Film and TV soundtracks
*Not Afraid, Not Afraid (2000), soundtrack by Gabriel Yared.
*The Black Box (2004), soundtrack by Nathaniel Méchaly.
*Colombiana (2011) soundtrack by Nathaniel Méchaly, soprano.
*Taken 3 (2014), soundtrack by Nathaniel Méchaly, "Let me weep".
*Midnight Sun (2016), soundtrack by Nathaniel Méchaly, 'A Sami Lullaby' featuring Méchaly.
Family
Méchaly's younger brother, Nathaniel Méchaly is a musician and composer of film scores. They have collaborated on a number of projects.

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