Céline Scheen

Soprano Céline Scheen built a distinguished career across both contemporary operatic stages and the Baroque repertoire, while also establishing herself as a dedicated vocal instructor.

Born March 15, 1976, in the historic Belgian textile center of Verviers, she began voice lessons early with Annie Frantz, initially aiming toward rock or French pop performance. Between 1994 and 1996 she sang with the World Youth Choir, traveling through Canada, Latin America, and the Baltic region. She later enrolled at the Royal Academy of Mons under Marcel Vanaud, graduating with a first prize, then pursued a vocal pedagogy diploma at the Royal Academy of Brussels. Additional training took her to the Queen Elizabeth Music Chapel, followed by two years at London’s Guildhall School of Music with Vera Rósza, where she earned an advanced vocal degree. She completed her studies through master classes led by Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, Monique Zanetti, and Helmut Deutsch.

Her stage roles range from Vespetta in Telemann’s Pimpinone to Lucy in Menotti’s The Telephone, and she has performed music spanning Cavalli and Gluck through Mozart and Poulenc. Appearances have included the Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg, the Théâtre de Caen, and the Opéra national du Rhin. As a concert soloist she has collaborated with La Fénice, La Cetra d’Orfeo, and Musica Antiqua Köln. Her recording work has centered on early music, notably several projects with L’Arpeggiata under Christina Pluhar. In 1999 she made her debut on Deutsche Grammophon with the soundtrack to Le Roi Danse, and in 2004 she recorded Nicolaus à Kempis’s Symphoniae with Ensemble Clematis for Musica Ficta. She returned to Harmonia Mundi in 2023 for Pygmalion’s account of Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine. Since 2019 Scheen has taught on the voice faculty of the University of Liège.