Endowed with a sunny voice and great musicality, Julien Behr was not destined to become a tenor on the opera stage. After graduating from the University of Lyon with a Master’s degree in Business Law, he decided to put his legal career on hold and study music. He was admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon (CNSM), where he graduated with first prize. This change of direction was no accident, as Julien is now considered one of the finest tenors of his generation.

Julien Behr, whose voice is equally at home in the Mozart repertoire, French Romanticism and bel canto, has been invited to perform at many prestigious opera houses in France and abroad. These include the Opéra national de Paris, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Opéra-Comique, Opéra de Lyon, Opéra National de Bordeaux and Opéra national du Rhin. Internationally, he has appeared at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Salzburg’s Mozartwoche, London’s Barbican Centre, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Oper Köln, Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, Minnesota Opera and New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival.

2026/27 SEASON

The 2026/27 season marks an important new chapter in Julien Behr’s repertoire, with several major role and house debuts. He makes his debut at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma as Pylade in Iphigénie en Tauride, his role debut in the title role of Massenet’s Werther at the Opéras de Rennes and Nantes, and his debut with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks as Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande. He also returns to Alfredo in La traviata at the Bregenzer Festspiele. Concert highlights include his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker in Lili Boulanger’s Faust et Hélène and a French Gala with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights of recent seasons include his debut as Roméo in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at the Theater an der Wien, Cinna in Spontini’s La Vestale at the Opéra national de Paris, Gérald in Lakmé at the Opéra national du Rhin, Don José in Carmen in Paris, a staged production of Handel’s Messiah at the Komische Oper Berlin, and Jason in Médée at the Opéra-Comique. He has also appeared as Alfredo in La traviata at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Opéra National de Bordeaux, Opéra de Nice, festivals of Bregenz and Orange. Returned to Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande with Bergen National Opera, and made his role debut as Faust at the Opéra Royal de Versailles.

Julien has performed under the baton of leading conductors, including Alain Altinoglu, Louis Langrée, René Jacobs, François-Xavier Roth, Marc Minkowski, and Mikko Franck. He has also worked with renowned directors such as Olivier Py, Klaus Guth, Robert Carsen, and Damiano Michieletto.

Nominated for the 2013 Victoires de la Musique in the category of "Révélation Artiste Lyrique" Julien is also a regular guest on various television programmes. For him, these appearances are an opportunity to share opera with a wider audience and to make opera accessible to as many people as possible.

SELECTED ROLES

Alfredo Germont · La traviata
Teatro Regio Torino · Grand Théâtre de Genève · Opéra National de Bordeaux · Opéra de Nice · Chorégies d’Orange · Bregenzer Festspiele

Pelléas · Pelléas et Mélisande
Bergen National Opera · Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

Werther · Werther
Opéra de Rennes · Angers Nantes Opéra

Roméo · Roméo et Juliette
Theater an der Wien

Faust · Faust
Opéra Royal de Versailles

OFFICIAL WEBSITE - https://www.julienbehr.com/