Anne Azéma, is French-born soprano and artistic director of the Boston Camerata. She has been an important or leading singer of early music since 1993. She has co-directed programs for the Boston Camerata and is also noted as a music scholar.[1] She is perhaps best known for performing music from the Middle Ages, lute songs from the Renaissance period, Baroque sacred music, and contemporary music theater. She is also a music educator and a researcher. She has performed in Japan, Germany, the US, Australia and elsewhere.[2]
Anne Azéma's special field is secular/vernacular song of France and Provence in the Middle Ages. She shared a "Grand Prix du Disque" for her role as Iseult in the Boston Camerata's recording of Tristan and Iseult. Four solo recital albums, The Unicorn, The Game of Love, Provence Mystique and Etoile du Nord also document her original work in this area.
Ms. Azéma is a founding member of the Camerata Mediterranea, touring with them internationally and appearing on all of their CDs (Edison Prize) She has also been prominent in many of the Boston Camerata's American music projects, taking the role of Mother Ann Lee of the Shakers in the dance-and-music theater work "Borrowed Light" (premiered in 2004) by Finnish choreographer Tero Saarinen and Camerata director Joel Cohen. Ms. Azéma's current discography numbers over thirty five recordings as a soloist, recitalist or director on the Warner — Erato, Harmonia Mundi, Virgin, Nonesuch, Bridge, Calliope, Atma and K 617 labels.
Anne Azéma is the founder and director of the European-based Ensemble Aziman.[3][4]
In 2007 Ms. Azéma, leading Aziman, directed the music for a staged work Le Tournoi de Chauvency,[5] performed in major theaters of eastern France and Luxembourg.
2008-2009 marked her first season as the Artistic Director of The Boston Camerata. During 2009-2010 she has led the Camerata on tour in the United States, Germany, and France.
In December, 2010, Anne Azéma was decorated as a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres of the French Republic, at a ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[6]
A list of Anne Azéma Discography: 1. CDs Recordings: Recital and Music Direction
Le Tournoi de Chauvency : Une joute d’Amour en Lorraine, K617- 2007 Etoile du nord : Gauthier de Coincy et le miracle médiéval, Calliope - 2003 (CD of the Year, Toronto Star, 10 de Répertoire) Die Stadt der Narre: weltliche und geistliche Macht im Frankreich und der Provence des Mittlealters, WDR - 2001 El Maestro, WDR - 2000 Provence mystique : Sacred Songs of the Middle Ages, Erato - 1998 (10 de Répertoire, **** Le Monde de la Musique, YYYYY Diapason, nominated for the Grand Prix des Discophiles, ffff Télérama, 5 Classica) Le Jeu d’amour : the game of love in Medieval France, Erato – 1996, (10 de Répertoire, **** Le Monde de la Musique) The Unicorn : Medieval French love songs, Erato - 1994 (10 de Répertoire, Choc du Monde de la Musique, 'Critics Choice’ Gramophone, YYYYY Diapason)
2. CDs as Vocal Soloist
A Mediterranean Christmas, The Boston Camerata, Warner - 2006 L'harmonie du Monde, Doulce Mémoire, Virgin/Naïve - 2003 Li tans Nouviaus, Constantinople Ensemble, ATMA - 2003 (nominated Opus, Montréal) The Almanac : Shira Kammen and Friends, Bright Angel Records - 2003 Golden Harvest: More Shaker songs, The Boston Camerata, Glissando - 2000 Cantigas, Camerata Mediterranea, Erato (Edison Prize, 10 de Répertoire) - 1999 Liberty Tree, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1998 What then is Love: Elizabethan Songbook, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1998 Douce Beauté, Pierre Guédron, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1998 Angels, The Boston Camerata &Tod Machover, Erato - 1997 Johnny Johnson, Kurt Weill; The Boston Camerata, Erato (Disque de l'année, Le Monde; Diapason D'Or; Choc du Monde de la Musique) – 1997 Brain Opera: Tod Machover - 1996 Trav'ling Home: American Spirituals, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1996 Carmina Burana, The Boston Camerata, Erato ( 10 de Répertoire) - 1996 Farewell Unkind, Songs and Dances of John Dowland, The Boston Camerata. Erato (Choc du Monde de la Musique) - 1996 Quel Diletto, Organisatie Oude Muziek, Utrecht – 1995 Le Roman de Fauvel, The Boston Camerata, Erato, 10 de Répertoire) – 1995 Simple Gifts: Shaker Chants and Spirituals, The Boston Camerata, Erato – 1995 Bernatz Ventadorn : Le Fou sur le Pont, Camerata Mediterranea, Erato (nominated, Grand Prix des Discophiles, Critic's Choice, Grammophone, ) - 1994 An American Christmas, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1993 Nueva España, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1992 Lamentations; Jean Gilles, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1992 The American Vocalist, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1991 Lo Gai Saber, Camerata Mediterranea, Erato - 1991 A Baroque Christmas, The Boston Camerata, Nonesuch - 1991 Valis, Tod Machover, Bridge - (CD of the Year, The New York Times) - 1990 Le Pont Sacré, Erato (Référence de Compact) - 1990 A Renaissance Christmas, The Boston Camerata, Nonesuch - 1989 Requiem; Jean Gilles, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1989 Tristan & Iseult, The Boston Camerata, Erato (Choc du Monde de la Musique, 10 de Répertoire, Grand Prix du Disque) - 1987 Noël, Noël: A French Christmas, Erato - 1988 New Britain, The Boston Camerata, Erato - 1986 La Primavera, The Boston Camerata, Erato – 1983 Josquin des Prés; Missa Pange Lingua et motets, Harmonia Mundi - 1982