Jean-Christophe Benoît (18 March 1925 – 21 February 2019) was a French baritone, who enjoyed a long career in France and francophone countries on the stage, the concert platform and radio and television. He was born in Paris into a professional musical family, and finished his career there as a teacher. Life and career His parents were musicians, and he began young to discover his musical talents. Attending the Paris Conservatoire, his tutors included Olivier Messiaen (harmony), Noel Gallon (counterpoint) and Gabriel Dubois (vocal studies). Composing at this time, Benoît provided incidental music for Yves Joly's Théâtre de Marionnettes in Paris, while soon establishing a career on the stage and concert platform, his vocal style lending itself toward opéra-comique. In the early 1950s Benoît began studio recording; his Mathurin being described in Opera on Record as "even at this early stage of his career Jean-Christophe Benoît's wit was readily flourished; his rustic accent is hilarious" He sang Dancaïre in Carmen in four separate studio versions. He sang in the world premiere of Madame de ... by Jean-Michel Damase in Monte Carlo on 22 March 1970 (libretto by Jean Anouilh after the novel by Louise de Vilmorin) conducted by the composer. Frank Martin wrote Pilate for him, and it was created in Rome in 1964. He also sang in the premiere of the opera Comme il vous plaira by Pierre Hasquenoph in Strasbourg in 1982. Although Benoît mainly appeared in French operatic roles at the Opéra-Comique and Opéra his repertoire was wide, ranging from Monteverdi to contemporary works, but often of music requiring dramatic effect. In September 1976 he appeared in Turandot in Geneva (with Birgit Nilsson in the title role, conducted by Giuseppe Patanè). Outside France he appeared at La Scala (Torquemada in L'Heure espagnole) and Geneva (Figaro in La Mère coupable). In Brussels his roles included Momus in Platée (1968), Guillaume Mericy in La passion de Gilles (1983 – world premiere), Schlemil in Les Contes d'Hoffmann (1985), Baron Douphol in La Traviata (1987) and Der Baron in Der ferne Klang (1988). From 1970 to 1990 he was a professor at the Paris Conservatoire; he was also an invited tutor at the Centre d'Art (JMC) du Mont-Orford in Quebec. Recording His many recordings include: Mathurin (L'ivrogne corrigé) Nixa 1952 Dancaïre (Carmen), Vox 1956, HMV 1958, RCA 1963, Ariola-Eurodisc 1970 Momus (Platée) Pathé 1956 Panatellas (La Périchole) French Columbia 1958 solos