The Paris Opera pays tribute to the memory of Dame Felicity Lott, who has just passed away.

The British soprano shared a deeply affectionate bond with France. After studying French at Royal Holloway College in London, she chose to spend an academic year near Grenoble as an English language assistant at a secondary school. It was there that she enrolled at the Grenoble Conservatory and met the teacher Elisabeth Maximović, who recognized her rare talent and encouraged her to pursue a career as a singer.

Over the course of an exceptional international career, Dame Felicity Lott established herself on the world’s greatest stages as one of the most distinguished interpreters of Richard Strauss, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Jacques Offenbach. An unforgettable Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, Fiordiligi, Donna Elvira, and La Belle Hélène, she combined supreme musicality with sparkling wit, a remarkable sensitivity to text, and a natural elegance that made her an instantly recognizable and deeply beloved artist.

The Paris Opera had the privilege of welcoming her as early as 1981 in Don Giovanni, and later in Così fan tutte, Giulio Cesare, Capriccio, Der Rosenkavalier, and La Fille du régiment, staged by Laurent Pelly, in which she brought the Duchess of Crakentorp to life with infectious delight. She was still appearing on the stage of the Opéra Bastille in October 2024 in this role, once again proving utterly irresistible.

Dame Felicity Lott championed the French repertoire with incomparable diction, unique sensitivity, and a sincere love for French culture, which earned her the enduring admiration of French audiences throughout her career.

The Paris Opera extends its heartfelt thoughts to her family, loved ones, and to all those who had the joy of working alongside her. Her memory and her voice will continue to resonate deeply in the history of the Paris Opera and in the hearts of its audiences.