What the French counterenor Philippe Jaroussky owes to the "midnight demons"

INTERVIEW

How do you find out that you have an extraordinary voice?

For the countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, this was done while he was in sixth grade, as he explained Thursday at the microphone of Anne Roumanoff in the show 

.

Before singing, he started in music when he entered the Conservatory at age 11, where he learned the violin and the piano.

The song will not come until a little later, thanks to a competition.

>> Find all of Anne Roumanoff's shows in replay and podcast here

During this singing competition, the young Philippe Jaroussky made an astonishing musical choice.

But that will pay off.

"I won my first sixth

singing competition with

," he smiles, before singing part of the chorus of Emile and Images' song.

Philippe Jaroussky realizes with this victory that his voice stands out.

But he didn't really start working on it until he was 18, after going to a concert by counterenor Fabrice di Falco.

"We met at the conservatory. I went to see him sing in a church in Paris, and it was a real shock," he recalls.

"I was like 'This is what I want to do'."

"I made my first opera at the age of 20"

He then contacts Fabrice di Falco's singing teacher, who tells her that her singing is pretty, but without substance.

Philippe Jaroussky then replies "Trust me. I know I will become a counterenor."

An assurance that still surprises him today.

"There had to be these little inner voices, this little flame that makes you able to lift mountains", he imagines.

The future countertenor begins lessons with this teacher and hangs on.

His career then took off very quickly.

"I made my first opera at the age of 20," he says modestly.

At 42 years old, his talent as a countertenor is recognized around the world.