© Claire Huteau

Jean Miannay

Tenor
jeanmiannay.com
FR
EN
You are currently performing the role of Normanno in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Can you tell us about this experience?
This production was initiated by the Rennes Opera and then toured for five months. We performed in Rennes, Lorient, Nantes, Angers, Massy, and Compiègne.

On projects that last several months, the sense of ensemble is truly wonderful. We have time to get to know one another, and that connection is something the audience can genuinely feel on stage.

You work with both the great operatic repertoire and contemporary creation. What does each of these worlds bring you?
The repertoire is called the “great” repertoire for a good reason, but I believe it would be dangerous for the future of opera to limit ourselves to it. Today, we need to create new librettos, new works, and new artistic forms. That is why I want to use my voice to support these new creations.

© LaureN Pasche

What has performing on stage taught you that working alone never could?
I would not set the two against each other because one cannot exist without the other. I work in order to be on stage, and once I have performed, I can reflect on the experience and consider what I could improve.

It is all about finding the right balance. It is very difficult to give genuine meaning to a role without the prospect of performing it, and conversely, it is easy to lose vocal focus by moving from one project to the next without taking the time to reconnect with our instrument.

In recital, your relationship with the audience is more direct. How do you experience that compared to the opera stage?
An opera production is a major collaboration between the artist.x performing on stage and all the creative teams involved (stage direction, set design, costumes, make-up, props, lighting, stage machinery, and scenery).

In recital, we have the opportunity to ask ourselves what we truly want to show and communicate to the audience. From time to time, I enjoy stepping outside the framework of the traditional recital to explore new forms of expression through staging, scenography, arrangements, or repertoire.

© Claire Huteau
You recently spoke publicly about your vitiligo. What does that decision represent for you today?
I am very proud.x of my patch.

Some people call it an imperfection, while others believe it is what makes me unique.

I still often have to cover it with make-up for the stage because “it’s too noticeable” or “it catches too much light.”

The stage is a reflection of the world and its challenges, a place where everyone.x should be able to recognise themselves despite each person’s individuality.

I have too many friends.x with vitiligo who are afraid of other people’s gaze and feel they have to hide.

What role does intuition play in your work as an artist?
As someone who did not come from a classical music background, instinct was at the heart of my singing because I did not grow up with the aesthetic codes of the twenty-first-century opera world. Over time, I have enriched that instinct through hard work, experience, patience, mistakes, and successes. It is not a straight or clearly marked path; it is a daily practice of listening to my inner voice and trusting it to tell me whether something is the right choice or not.
You also share tarot readings on Instagram. What inspired you to create that space?
I think it is important that social media should not simply be a showcase for my singing, but rather for my artistic approach and personality. Spirituality has always played a significant role in my singing and, by extension, in my life. Tarot readings help me clarify my thoughts whenever things feel a little unclear.
What projects do you have coming up?
My summer revolves around three main projects:

An opera recital with the Compagnie Lyrique Les Brigrands on 17 and 18 July in Pluherlin and Caden.

A recital with our duo alongside Ayaka Niwano at the Volcadiva Festival on 5 July in Chamalières.

My debut in the role of Nadir in Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, on 25 July in Gujan-Mestras and 21 August in Marmande.

01/07/2026