Irène Joachim

Irène Joachim, born on March 13, 1913 in France, was a French soprano who later became a vocal teacher. She began her musical education as a child, learning violin and piano. In 1935, she enrolled at the Paris Conservatory. Joachim made her debut at the Opéra-Comique on February 2, 1939 as Nanthilde in Le Bon Roi Dagobert. She is particularly remembered for her interpretation of Mélisande in Pelléas et Mélisande, which she first sang at the Opéra-Comique on September 12, 1940. During World War II, she refused an invitation to sing in Berlin and instead joined the Front National. Post-war, Joachim won a 'Grand Prix du Disque' in 1959 for her recording of lieder by Carl Maria von Weber. From 1963, she was a professor at the Paris Conservatory.  Joachim passed away on April 20, 2001.